The Exchange Student
by bananacosmicgirl
Summary: AU. Spike comes to the US as an exchange student, and guess who he's living with? Buffy, of course. And as the year passes, their relationship changes. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
Rating: PG-13 Just some kisses, not a lot of bad words either.  
  
Pairing: Buffy/Spike of course!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, just the story. Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy and the WB owns it all.  
  
Distribution: Want it – take it, as long as you let me know where it's going.  
  
Feedback: Yes please!! This is only my third fic though, so be kind.  
  
Author's note: This began as the simple challenge response, to a challenge I found on the site Death-Marked Love (challenge will be posted at the end of the fic). In this universe, Xander is dating Anya and Willow is with Tara, although they are only in high school. Angel, Cordelia and such don't exist.  
  
A big thanks to the site Death-Marked Love, which gave me the idea. I'd never have come up with this by myself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 1  
  
  
  
"Okay girls, behave," Joyce said, with a meaningful glance at her oldest daughter.  
  
Buffy sighed, and said, "Don't worry mom, we'll be acting if he was the prince of England."  
  
"And no sarcastic remarks, thank you very much."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Dawn, Buffy's eleven-year-old sister, stood besides Buffy, and Joyce stroke her long beautiful brown hair. "Mom, when's he coming?" she asked, her voice excited.  
  
"Soon, sweetie, soon. Your dad just called and said that they're on their way back from the airport."  
  
Just then, they heard a car pull up outside the house. Dawn was almost jumping up and down in excitement; she'd been looking forward to having the exchange student come since her parents had broken the news that they'd have one. Buffy yawned; she had been against it all since the beginning. How in the world was she supposed to keep her Slayer duties a secret from a guy living in their house? Of course, she had managed to keep it from her parents for quite a while, but she really didn't want to go back to the old 'sneaking-out-the-window-routine'. She preferred it the way it was, with everything out in the open with her family.  
  
The door opened.  
  
"Come on in, William," she heard her father's voice. Hank came in the door carrying one big, heavy bag, and behind him came the exchange student. Buffy could hear Dawn gasp, and she knew that her sister would have a crush on the guy for the rest of the year.  
  
William was quite tall, was the first thing he noticed. Lots of muscles were hinted under a leather jacket and tight black pants. Bleached hair that didn't get Buffy's liking, strong cheekbones and piercing blue eyes.  
  
"Hello William," Joyce said, and stretched out her hand. "The flight went well, I hope?"  
  
"Yeah, although the food was bloody awful," he responded, then shook the hand of a slightly shocked Joyce.  
  
"Well… Um… I'm sorry to hear that." She turned around and decided to introduce her daughters. "These are my daughters, Dawn," she pointed at the littler one, "and Buffy."  
  
"'Ello," Spike said, eyeing Buffy appreciatively from her toes and up, stopping at her eyes.  
  
"Hi," Buffy said coolly. She already disliked this guy.  
  
Dawn, on the other hand, she had a smile on her face that reached from ear to ear. "It's so nice to meet you, William," she said politely.  
  
"Call me Spike. That's what everyone else does."  
  
He grinned, and Hank asked him if he wanted to take his suitcases up to his room.  
  
"Sure," Spike said. He grabbed them both, one in each hand, and Joyce led him up the stairs to his new room. Dawn stared after him, still smiling.  
  
"Are we allowed to leave now? I need to go patrolling," Buffy said in an annoyed voice.  
  
"Sure, you go," her dad answered.  
  
Not wasting a second, Buffy was out of the door.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy met up with the Scoobies in the graveyard. She was silent, but as a vampire came by and she hit him with more force than any of them had seen in a long time, Willow asked her, "Uh, Buffy? Is there something wrong?"  
  
Buffy turned around and looked at her friend. "No."  
  
"C'mon, Buff," Xander said, "Tell us."  
  
Buffy hesitated, then she said, "Fine. The exchange student came to us today."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right," Willow said, "How is he?"  
  
"Rude, stupid and bleached," Buffy said. "I saw him for two minutes and he's already getting on my nerves."  
  
"Ooh, t-that can't be good," Willow said. "But why don't you like him?"  
  
"Oh I don't know! The way he looked at me, though, it was scary. No, I take that back. He wasn't scary, just annoying."  
  
"Give him a chance," Xander broke in. "He can't be that bad. I mean, he's not a vampire or anything. Right?"  
  
"No, he's not. Oh, I guess you're right. I'll try and like him."  
  
"That's the spirit," Willow cheered.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
But as much as Buffy tried, Spike just kept getting on her nerves. A month went by, and he was everywhere, invading her house and school and life with every inch of his body. But nobody else seemed to have a problem with him like Buffy did.  
  
When her mother had come over the use of 'bloody hell' and 'sodden' in every other sentence, Joyce had come to the conclusion that she liked Spike, although she preferred to call him William. Of course, she saw Spike with a mother's eyes, and he saw her as a second mom, and not as if he was undressing her with his eyes as Buffy thought he did with her.  
  
Dawn just adored Spike. She got this big, almost drooling smile whenever he was around, and more than once, Buffy had heard her giggle with her friends about him. But Dawn was still a child and Buffy knew that that was the way Spike saw her too, when she'd heard him refer to her as 'Nibblet'.  
  
And then there was her dad. Buffy didn't really know what he thought of Spike; he was seldom home and when he was, Spike wasn't the one he spent time with. So she couldn't tell if he liked Spike or not.  
  
Her mother was calling her down for dinner. Sighing, Buffy put together the magazine she'd been trying to read and left her room. As she was walking down the stairs, another door opened, and the next moment, Spike was right behind her.  
  
"Don't you have anywhere else to be?" she asked him angrily.  
  
"Nope, I don't, since I do live here, at the moment at least," he answered her in a slightly amused tone.  
  
"Why on earth did mom and dad decide that we were gonna host an exchange," Buffy muttered under her breath. But Spike heard.  
  
"You mad at me, pet?"  
  
Gritting her teeth, she responded, "Don't. Call. Me. Pet."  
  
"Pet, pet, pet…"  
  
"You are so full of it," she whispered. The two had stopped in the hallway downstairs, and were now glaring at each other.  
  
"And that's why you love me," he whispered.  
  
"I so do not love you."  
  
"Oh really?" he mocked her.  
  
"Yeah. Really. You see, you are a dumb, five foot ten or so, gross, and badly bleached Englishman with out manners." She almost felt proud of herself for that outburst.  
  
"As if you are so much better," he sneered. "You are an annoying sixteen- year-old little fashion victim with too much hormones."  
  
Slap.  
  
It was pure reaction, and it did what it had intended; it got him quiet. He looked shocked.  
  
"Shut up," she threatened. "One more word and I will hurt you. Badly."  
  
"I'd like to see you try."  
  
"No," she whispered. "You wouldn't."  
  
Suddenly, Joyce's face appeared in the doorway. "Are you to going to stand here all day, or are you coming?"  
  
"I'm coming mom," Buffy responded, and added quietly, "But I hope he doesn't."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Another couple of days passed, and Spike didn't seem to be bothering her as much. Maybe, she thought, maybe I really did scare him off with my words. That thought made her happy, as she wanted nothing to do with the stupid senior.  
  
Suddenly, the door to her room opened, interrupting Buffy's thoughts.  
  
"Hello Buffy," she heard his voice.  
  
"Have you ever heard of knocking on the door?" Buffy asked icily.  
  
"Why hello Spike too," he said, and proceeded into her room.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked. Couldn't she even get to be alone in her own room?  
  
"Just wanted to see how my little sis was doing."  
  
"I am not your little sister," she said, continuing just as icily.  
  
"Fine. Whatever." He looked at Buffy, and she got the same feeling as always; that he was undressing her with his eyes. She shuddered.  
  
"Can you please get out?" Buffy asked, sounding anything but polite.  
  
"Do I hear a hint of hostility?" Spike asked, not moving.  
  
"Not just a hint. Get out before I throw you out the window."  
  
"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, you need to work on your people skills. But I'll do as my lady wishes," he said and walked over to the door, but he didn't leave until he'd done a taunting bow.  
  
Buffy's inside was boiling, and she knew that the only ting that could do was to go out and slay some vampires. Quietly, she grabbed one stake, put another in the pocket of her jacket and headed outside.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
She walked over the cemetery, the wet grass sounding beneath her. It had just started raining. Not heavily, just a light drizzle. Ahead of her though, vampires caught her attention. There were six of them, all making their way towards her, game faces on. They seemed new; dirt was still on their clothes, left rising from their graves.  
  
"Oh hey, here we go," Buffy muttered. She made her way forward and before the vampires knew what had hit them, she was in the middle, kicking and staking furiously. The first one went, with a surprised look on his face. The second one she kicked, landing him on the ground, and she had put the stake through his heart before he had time to get on his feet again. Number three and four were running towards her, one from each side, and she held out one stake on each side, and they pinned themselves on the wooden points as they jumped on her. Two left. She right-handed one, sending the female vampire to the ground and then kicking the other one in his stomach. The female got up and kicked Buffy in the face. She dropped her stakes, and fell hard back into a tombstone. Momentarily, her world went black.  
  
Then, groggily, she tried to sit up again, but a vampire held her down while the female sat over her, punching her in the face.  
  
"Not on top of it anymore, Slayer?" the female said, bending down to bite Buffy.  
  
Buffy squirmed and tried to get out of the vampire's grip, but its hands held her down like metal straps would have done. She tried not to show it, but she was trembling with fear.  
  
But just then, as Buffy though her life would end, the female was kicked of her. A stake was thrown at her, and she staked the male vampire behind her before he understood what was going on. Surprised of the turn of events, Buffy stood up – still groggy from hitting her head on the tombstone – and was more than surprised to see Spike of all people, fighting the female vampire. He held a stake in one hand, but he was loosing to the vampire.  
  
Quickly, Buffy ran over there, and with two kicks, a punch and a stake through her heart, the vampire was gone.  
  
Panting, Buffy turned to her savior.  
  
"Spike! What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, rubbing her throbbing her head.  
  
"Are you okay?" Spike asked, ignoring her question.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Buffy lied. Her head hurt badly. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well… You've been disappearing almost every night, and I wanted to know where you were going."  
  
Buffy looked at him, disbelieving. "Right," she said. "You were gonna see if I was being bad, doing drugs or something."  
  
Spike looked indifferent. "Yeah, well, that wouldn't be too hard to think, now would it, pet?"  
  
"Well, I'm not doing drugs," Buffy retorted, holding both hands up to her head. It hurt, and her world was swaying before her eyes. She reached on hand out to hold onto something to be able to regain her balance, and Spike took it.  
  
"You're not okay," he said. "C'mon, let's go home."  
  
She nodded, still clutching Spike's arm. If she didn't, she was going to fall. She felt ridicules, but at that very moment, she didn't care. They walked slowly over the cemetery, but by the time they reached the outside of it and still had another fifteen minutes of walk to go, Spike said, "This is not working."  
  
"What?" Buffy asked and looked up at him.  
  
"You won't be able to walk all the way home," he said, looking concerned. This surprised Buffy.  
  
"What d'you suggest we do?" she asked in a small voice, as it hurt to talk.  
  
"This." Quickly, he put one arm under her knees and one under her shoulders and lifted her.  
  
"What 're you doing?" Buffy asked, a little annoyed.  
  
"Just relax. I don't bite," he answered, and to her own surprise, she did relax. She lowered her head to his shoulder, held her arms around his neck and let him carry her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
He was surprised at how light she was. Even more surprised was he at the fact that she actually let herself be carried. But, she really didn't look well. Her face was pale and her eyes had been groggy, and she'd hardly been able to walk. He wondered where she'd gotten the power to stake that last vampire.  
  
At last, they reached her house. Quietly, Spike opened the front door, and walked inside. It was quiet and dark. It was one o'clock, so that was understandable; everyone else was in bed.  
  
He sneaked up the stairs, still with Buffy in his arms. She seemed to have fallen asleep, and he put her in her room on the bed. She woke up as he was pulling her boots off. She sat up and looked slightly disoriented.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Putting you to bed, pet," he answered. "Lay back and sleep."  
  
She obeyed, and was back asleep before he was done with her shoes. Spike pulled her covers up over her, and then he left the room, smiling slightly.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy woke up, her head still aching slightly but not like the night before. The Slayer healing had kicked in. She remembered the night before. Oh God, she remembered. Spike. He had carried her. Why in the world had she let him do that? She hated him! But what had he really been doing there at the cemetery in the first place?  
  
Hastily she got dressed and went downstairs. It smelled of pancakes and she found her mom in the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning, sweetie," Joyce said. "Want some pancakes?"  
  
"Yeah, that sounds good," Buffy said smiling slightly. She sat down by the table. "Where's everyone?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, your father is at work," Joyce started, and Buffy interrupted.  
  
"On a Sunday?" she asked, staring at her mom in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, he had something he needed to do. Anyway," Joyce said, sounding like she didn't want to talk about it. "Dawn is still sleeping I believe, and William left a while ago. I think he went to the library."  
  
"Oh." Spike at the library? she thought. Now that's odd.  
  
Her mother put a plate in front of her and Buffy got syrup. Joyce sat down on the other side of the table. Buffy thought she looked tired.  
  
"What's up mom?" she asked, concerned.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing," Joyce said, attempting a smile.  
  
They both fell quiet and ate under silence. A couple of minutes later, Dawn came down the stairs.  
  
"Morning," she said, pre-teen tired as always.  
  
"There are some pancakes on the stove for you too, honey," Joyce said.  
  
Dawn went ahead and took some pancakes and then sat down at the quiet table.  
  
"O-kay," she said, "Why are we having this year's Gloom-party here?"  
  
Buffy shot her a look, and her mother answered, "We just have a lot to think about, Dawn."  
  
Dawn shrugged, grabbed a comic magazine and ignored her mother and sister.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy met up with the Scoobies a little later in the day. They sat around the table at the Magic Box and talked. Willow and Tara were engaged in a discussion involving unicorns – whether they existed or not –, Xander and Anya were sitting together, he trying to read a book and she kissing him on the side of his face. He didn't seem annoyed. Giles was talking to her, about her training.  
  
"You need to start training more, Buffy," Giles said. "You need to start taking your duty more seriously."  
  
Buffy nodded, but she wasn't really listening to what he said. She was thinking of Spike, and his – and her – behavior the night before. Why in the world had he followed her to the cemetery? How did he know that he needed a stake to kill the vampires? Why wasn't he freaked out about seeing vampires? The whole thing was a mystery.  
  
"Buffy! Listen to what I have to say!" Giles interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"Uh, what?" she asked a highly annoyed Watcher.  
  
Giles looked at her, but at that point Anya turned around to them.  
  
"Oh yeah," Anya asked. "I was wondering, Buffy. When will we get to meet you exchange student guy?"  
  
Buffy stared at Anya. Could the ex-demon read her thoughts?  
  
"Uh, soon, I guess," she answered, not wanting to talk about it.  
  
"But he's been here for a month, and we still haven't met him," Anya complained.  
  
So far, Willow was the only one who'd met Spike, and even that meeting had been brief. Willow had come by her house to pick her up to go to the Bronze one night, and Spike had been there too.  
  
"You-you must be Spike," Willow had said.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be me," he'd responded. "And you are…?"  
  
"Oh. I'm Willow. B-Buffy's friend."  
  
He'd nodded, said, "Nice to meet you, Willow," and left.  
  
Returning to present, Buffy answered, "Well, he's not much to see. He's big, bleached and annoying."  
  
"Crushed to hear you say that, pet," a voice said and Buffy whirled around. Spike was standing in the doorway.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
"Your mum wants you to come home, your cousin and aunt have come."  
  
Oh shoot, she'd forgotten about that. Her Aunt Michelle and her bratty, fourteen-year-old cousin Sarah had come to spend a week with them. She didn't know why, but her mother had told her they wanted a vacation, and they thought Sunnydale would be the perfect place, since they normally lived in dull Oklahoma.  
  
Buffy muttered a curse under her breath, and then said, "Fine, I'm coming. You go ahead."  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't leave without you pet."  
  
"You are so extremely annoying."  
  
"And proud of it, love. By the way, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"  
  
Buffy turned around to find all of them, even Giles, staring at her and Spike.  
  
"Fine. This is Spike," she said to the Scoobies, then she turned to get her stuff from the training room.  
  
"'Lo all," Spike said with a crooked grin.  
  
Willow smiled at him in recognition, while the other ones just stared. Anya smiled and said, "Hi, I'm Anya. This is Xander," she pointed at her boyfriend, "Willow and Tara," she continued nodding at the Wiccas. "And Giles of course," she said with a look at the older man. "He owns the store. I work here."  
  
Spike nodded. He didn't say anything, and the next second, Buffy was back with a bag on her back and an irritated expression.  
  
"See you later," she said to the Scoobies and left the store with Spike in tow.  
  
She walked fast, attempting to get ahead of Spike but not succeeding. He seemed to have no trouble keeping up with her. Suddenly she stopped and looked at him accusingly.  
  
"Are you going to tell me anytime soon what you were doing at the cemetery last night? Or will I have to guess?"  
  
"Why do you care, pet?"  
  
"Why I care?! Because there aren't supposed to be people out at a cemetery at twelve o'clock at night!"  
  
"Then what were you doing there, huh? Besides, shouldn't you be bloody thanking me?"  
  
"Why would I?"  
  
"Because I saved your sodden life!" They had started walking again.  
  
"You did not; I had everything under control!"  
  
"Yeah, even when you were thrown into a tombstone, knocked unconscious and almost bitten. Oh yeah, you were in control," Spike said sarcastically.  
  
"I have come this far, I don't need your help!" she said, walking so fast she was almost running. He had stopped a little further back, and the rest of the way they walked one and one, neither saying another word. 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 2  
  
  
  
Later that night, Buffy lay in her bed. The day had continued in the same way it had begun: badly.  
  
Her cousin Sarah was just as horrible as ever, although she was nice to Spike. Buffy guessed that Sarah, just like Dawn, had developed a hasty crush on the peroxide blonde Englishman. He hadn't been nice to her though; he'd been all sarcastic and evil, as he always was when Joyce wasn't around. It seemed that Joyce was the only one he really respected.  
  
Except for yesterday, a little voice in the back of her head said. She'd seen something different the night before. Spike had been a gentle young man who'd saved her and then taken care of her. Who was that kind and caring man and where was he now? Why was Spike being so rude all the time? Was it all an act?  
  
Thoughts still whirling in her head, she fell asleep.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The week when Aunt Michelle and cousin Sarah stayed at their house went by slowly, and more than once Buffy felt like she wanted to just break Sarah's neck or something. Hurt her. Really badly. Because not even Dawn was as bratty as Sarah was, believe it or not. Buffy noticed this when Joyce ordered Buffy to take Sarah and Aunt Michelle shopping at the mall; Sarah got everything she pointed at.  
  
On Thursday, it was October 31st, and every child and teen in all of Sunnydale dressed up for Halloween. Sarah and Dawn had had fun at the mall, picking out a costume each for them. Dawn was dressed up as a Tinkerbell, in a very short, green dress and her hair up in a bun on the back of her head. On her feet, she had little green shoes.  
  
"You know, that could become really cold since it's chilly outside," Buffy told her.  
  
"I know, Buffy," an annoyed Dawn answered, "But it's my choice."  
  
"Fine," Buffy shrugged and helped her baby sister with the zipper in the back.  
  
Nancy had come out a little later, dressed like a princess. It was funny, Buffy thought, to see her not-very-skinny cousin dressed up in a tight, poofy pink dress with layer upon layer of frills and her hair pinned up with clips formed as butterflies, making her appearance resemble more to a wedding cake than a princess. On the whole, Sarah looked ridicules, and Buffy worked hard to not laugh in her face.  
  
The two set out to go trick or treating, while Buffy put on shoes and collected her stake to go out and patrol. As she was getting ready, the door opened, and someone came in. In the dim light of her room, Buffy couldn't really make out who it was, but it looked a lot like a – vampire.  
  
Instantly, she grabbed her stake, and she was just inches from putting it through the vampire's heart, when she realized that it wasn't a vampire. It was Spike, dressed up as one.  
  
"Hello, love, you not happy to see me?"  
  
"Spike! Get out of my room!" she said, angrily.  
  
"Oh you're in a mood today, pet. That time of month again?"  
  
"Get out Spike," Buffy repeated, this time in a lower, more threatening voice.  
  
"Where's your sense of fun, pet?" he asked her mockingly.  
  
"Where it's always been – far away from you." She leaned forward to him, stake in one hand, the other one ready to hit.  
  
"Aww, that's so funny," Spike said in a low voice. He too leaned closer. They were mere inches away; she could feel his warm breath on her face, making her heart beat faster. Stop it, she told herself. Just get him out of here.  
  
And that was what she did. In one quick motion, she had shoved him out of her room and closed the door right in his startled face.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
At the end of the week, Buffy was more than happy to see her cousin and aunt go. When her relatives left, the house suddenly felt so peaceful – even thought Spike was still there – and Buffy sat down to do some schoolwork. She had a test in geometry the next day, and it felt like she didn't know half of it.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked, tiredly.  
  
She heard Spike's voice; "Can I come in?"  
  
Buffy didn't answer; she went over to the door and opened it. "What is it?"  
  
"See: I knock," he said, grinning. When he noticed she wasn't smiling back, he stopped, though.  
  
"What do you want now?"  
  
"Well, we haven't really talked all week, so I though…"  
  
Buffy interrupted. "Spike, we didn't talk before that either."  
  
"I know that! So? I want to start. I've been her for almost two bloody months, and I still haven't said more than twenty words to you."  
  
Buffy sat at her desk, just looking at him, trying to figure out where this was going.  
  
"And that's a problem because…?" she asked him.  
  
He sighed, and muttered, "Whatever."  
  
He was walking out of the room when Buffy asked him, "Why weren't you scared of the vampires?"  
  
He turned around and looked at her, looking as if he was trying to decide whether to tell her or not. Finally, he said, "My great grandfather was a Watcher. He told me all about them when I was little."  
  
Buffy was surprised at the explanation. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that.  
  
"When I came here, I didn't know you were the Slayer. But I was wondering what you were sneaking out every bloody night for. So, I decided to follow you, pet, and that's how I ended up in the cemetery."  
  
Buffy's mouth formed a perfect 'o'.  
  
"The next day, I went to the library, and found some ol' books, and they said you were the Slayer. It's not all that complicated, pet. Anything else you want to know?"  
  
First, Buffy sat still. Then she shook her head, and then, as he was leaving for the second time, she said, "I want to know if you can help me with this; it's geometry."  
  
A smile played on his face as he walked over to her, and sat down next to her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
She got the highest scores she'd ever gotten on a math quiz that next day, and she decided that Spike was going to get to help her again.  
  
She had a busy life; School, training and slaying took up almost all her time, and she was overly thankful to her friends who helped her with both schoolwork and the staking of vampires. Even Spike helped every now and then. He didn't have the powers that she did, and he didn't have the magic knowledge that the Wiccas had, but in his own way he helped them. He was like a second, stronger version of Xander.  
  
When Buffy had first told Giles and the Scoobies that Spike knew she was the Slayer, they had been surprised and Xander had seemed a little worried.  
  
"Was it really a good idea tell him?" he had asked.  
  
"I didn't tell him," Buffy had responded. "He followed me one night, and – well, he saved my life. We didn't talk about it, though, until last night, and he told me that he knew about vampires and all that. His great grandfather was a Watcher. Giles, have you heard of William Johannes Walthrop?"  
  
Giles had looked up, surprised, and said, "Yes. He was the Watcher of Linda the Vampire Slayer in the – I don't know, sometime around the fifties, I believe. Linda was a very successful Slayer, and she saved the world quite a few times, I believe, making her Watcher a well-known name among the Council."  
  
Buffy had nodded, taking in the information. So Spike hadn't lied to her. She hadn't really thought that he was, but it was good having someone confirm that he was telling the truth.  
  
"So, w-what is he going to d-do now?" Tara had asked, shyly. "S-Spike, I mean."  
  
"He wants to go with us and patrol," Buffy had responded, thinking back to their conversation the evening before. "He is a good fighter, I saw that just in the short time when he – rescued me. I'm sure he'll do good."  
  
The Scoobies nodded, as Willow said, "Yeah, we can never get too much help."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
One night, they were all out patrolling; Buffy walking first, Spike after her, then Willow and Tara and last Xander and Anya who held hands and looked cute. It didn't take them long to find some vampires, and soon they were all fighting. There were more vampires than there were Scoobies, but the Scoobies had the top hold anyway. Vampire after vampire was turned into dust, and finally, they were alone in the graveyard again.  
  
"Well, that wasn't too hard," Xander said, brushing dust off his pants.  
  
"I don't see anymore," Buffy said, looking around. "I say we call it a night."  
  
The others nodded and they scattered after getting out of the cemetery.  
  
"You coming?" Buffy asked Spike as they were leaving.  
  
But he was standing there, listening intently. He pointed at the bushes and held up four fingers. Buffy nodded understandingly and they walked over there, but stopped as they heard voices.  
  
"The lady will be very pleased," one of the people behind the bush said.  
  
"Kill the Slayer and she can rule," another one said.  
  
"She has the crystal, now all she needs is the Slayer's blood," a third one chimed in.  
  
"We do best in going back to her," the fourth one whispered.  
  
Buffy could see that they were minions, and gestured to Spike to come back to her, as she stood a little further away from them. Spike crept over quietly and they left together.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"What do you think that lot meant?" Spike asked her as they hurried home.  
  
"I don't know but I'm gonna find out," Buffy said, rounding the corner of Revello Drive. "Giles will have to look at it, tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow? Slayer, you could be in danger!" Spike protested.  
  
"Spike, listen to me," Buffy said as they reached her house. "Get two things straight. One: Never ever call me Slayer. Buffy is my name, that's what you call me. Two: I am the Slayer, therefor I am usually in danger. On the other hand, I also have powers and am quite equipped to take care of myself. It won't matter if Giles looks at it tonight and falls asleep over it, or tomorrow when he's actually awake. Got it?"  
  
"Got it Sla-Buffy."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Problem was that Giles was on Spike's side; He was saying that she should have come there the day before. Buffy argued the same points to him as he'd done to Spike, but it was only when Willow reminded the two that they had more important things to do than argue, that they actually stopped.  
  
"Yee-ha, research-party!" Xander said sarcastically, as they settled down in the Magic Box, each with two books in front of them.  
  
But when darkness fell outside the little store, none of them had found anything to go on. There wasn't a word in any of the books about anything Spike and Buffy had heard.  
  
"May-maybe they just did it to confuse us," Willow said, half-jokingly.  
  
"I don't think so, Will," Buffy said, seriously. "They talked about a lady; if we only knew who that was."  
  
"Probably a demon of some kind," Giles said. "What interests me is that they need your blood, Buffy, to be able to use the crystal."  
  
"So basically," Xander said, "As long as you don't let them catch you, we're safe."  
  
"Oh yeah, as if I would be planning on letting them catch me," Buffy said sarcastically. "Sorry," she continued when she saw the look on Xander's face. "Didn't mean to be rude."  
  
"It's okay, Buff," Xander smiled a little.  
  
"I wish that we knew what the crystal's name was; It would make searching for information about it just a little easier," Giles sighed.  
  
"They just called it 'the crystal', so I don't know," Buffy answered. "I wish we would have taken one of them, you know, captured on, and then we could ask."  
  
"I'm not sure that would help though," Willow said, "Since minions can be very loyal to their masters."  
  
"Can be, being the key words here," Buffy muttered.  
  
"Buffy, I think we need to get going," Spike said suddenly and pointed at his watch. "Your mum wanted you home for dinner."  
  
"Oh yeah," Buffy said, surprised at Spike for remembering such a thing. "Let me just go and get my stuff."  
  
She came back a minute later and said to the Scoobies, "I'm sorry I have to leave, but mom and dad wanted us home early for some reason today."  
  
"It's okay, Buff," Xander said and Anya nodded beside him. "You've done your share; we'll just continue having fun here among dusty books."  
  
"Thanks you guys," Buffy smiled, and then left the store with Spike. "Do you have a clue of why my parents wanted us home tonight?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't know, pet, but it is for yours and Dawn's ears only, because your mum asked me if I could go out and eat or so tonight."  
  
This worried and surprised Buffy. Since the day Spike had come to their house, he'd been part of the family and done everything with them. She wondered what could be for only the 'real' family's ears. Was there something wrong?  
  
Unconsciously, she sped up, wanting to get to her house fast. The cool November air suddenly seemed even chillier, like it went right through her thin jacket, straight into her bones. When the reached Revello Drive, Spike told her that he was going to the Bronze.  
  
"I'll be back later," he said. "Give you all lots of time."  
  
"Thank you, Spike," Buffy said suddenly.  
  
"For what, pet?"  
  
"I dunno," she said. "For letting us do family business without getting mad, I guess."  
  
Spike just shrugged. "See you lot later," he said and turned around.  
  
Buffy stayed put for a second before running towards her house.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The first thing she noticed when she came in was that she didn't smell any food. Her mother hadn't made dinner. But she found them all, her mother, her father and Dawn in the dining room, sitting around the table. Her parents both looked very serious, and in Dawn's face Buffy could read the same emotions she was feeling: Fear and worry.  
  
"Hi Buffy," Joyce said, and pointed at a chair, "Sit down, please."  
  
"What's going on?" Buffy asked even before she had had time to sit down.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like to know too," Dawn said.  
  
"Well," their mother started, suddenly looking angrier than Buffy had ever seen her. "As you may have noticed, your dad has spent a lot of time at the office these last months." Her voice was ice cold; it scared Buffy. "And a couple of days ago, I found out why. Your dad has been having an – an affair."  
  
Buffy and Dawn both seemed to have lost their abilities to talk. Buffy's stomach twisted itself into a knot, she felt tears burn behind her eyelids, and suddenly she knew what was coming.  
  
"You–you," she started. "You're getting a di–divorce."  
  
Dawn gasped. She had tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Yes," their father said. He seemed very calm, and all of a sudden, Buffy couldn't recognize her own dad. This was not the man who'd stayed up and told her and Dawn stories, he was not the one who'd bought her mother flowers, he was not the one who she'd known. This man she didn't know.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, and stretched a hand out to touch Buffy's hand.  
  
"Get away from me!" Buffy yelled, pulling her arm away from him. "Get away!"  
  
"Buffy," her father said, but he didn't sound sorry.  
  
"Get away from me," Buffy whispered again. "I'm leaving now, and when I get back, I don't want you to be here."  
  
"Buffy!" Joyce yelled after her, but Buffy didn't stop. She reached for her jacket and she left the house.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She didn't know where she was going, just that it was far away from her home.  
  
Home.  
  
At the moment, she just couldn't think of it as home. It held people she didn't know. She wished that it was two hours ago, back then she was still happily unknowing of her father's betrayal. She didn't know how she would ever be able to talk to him again. The whole scenario made her want to throw up. He dad with another woman…  
  
And her mother. She had looked so mad and so hurt. But at the moment, she didn't want to think of her either, her own feelings being more than enough to try to deal with.  
  
She found herself in the cemetery.  
  
In the shadows, she saw vampires come walking. It was a big group, at least ten ugly creatures, walking another twenty feet away from her.  
  
"The lady must have the Slayer," she heard on say. "Then she can rule."  
  
The others laughed; it was a rotten laugh.  
  
"Oh great, just what I needed," Buffy muttered and quickly wiped away her tears.  
  
The vampires had heard her, and within seconds, they were all over her. Buffy fought for all that she was worth, but she wasn't concentrated and the vampires got in many good blows on her. She staked four, before another one hit her over the head with something hard.  
  
Everything went black.  
  
  
  
* * * 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 3  
  
  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
Joyce stood outside Buffy's room, knocking on her daughter's door. When no one answered, she opened the door.  
  
"Oh god," she whispered when she noticed that Buffy wasn't there. She did a quick search, then walked downstairs to the kitchen, where Spike and Dawn both were sitting.  
  
"Have any of you seen Buffy?" she asked.  
  
"No," the two answered in unison.  
  
"She's not in her room," Joyce said, sounding slightly worried. "I'm going to call her friends."  
  
She disappeared quickly with the phone. Spike and Dawn didn't move from their seats. Dawn kept eating, but Spike couldn't. A terrible feeling had settled in the pit of his stomach, saying that Buffy was in trouble. He stood up to go and talk to Joyce. Dawn looked at him.  
  
"Aren't you gonna finish?" she asked.  
  
"No, Nibblet, I need to go talk to your mum," he said and walked out to the living room where Joyce was saying, "So you haven't seen her? Well, thanks anyway."  
  
She turned around and saw Spike. "She's not at Willow and Tara's, and Giles hasn't seen her. I'm going to try Xander."  
  
Spike nodded and kept quiet as Joyce called, but Buffy hadn't been there either.  
  
"Where could she be?" Joyce asked Spike, now very worried.  
  
"I don't know, Joyce. Did she say where she was going last night?" Spike didn't know everything that had happened the day before, but he knew some and could read from the tension in the house, that it was serious.  
  
"No… No, she just left," Joyce said. "Why didn't I stop her? She was so upset, and when she's upset, she does stupid things…" Her eyes were blank from tears, "She's the Slayer, and she thinks that makes her invincible."  
  
Joyce sat down on the sofa, her legs not holding her up anymore. Spike sat down next to her and said, "Don't worry, we'll get her back." He wished that he felt as sure as he tried to sound. "She's made it so far, hasn't she?"  
  
"Yeah, but…"  
  
"No buts. I'm going to the Magic Box, and her mates will find her. Don't worry."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The Scooby Gang met at the Box less than half an hour later. Willow and Tara, hand in hand, both looked worried. Xander came in with Anya in tow just a little after Spike arrived. Giles was taking to a customer as the gang started discussing.  
  
"Wiccas, could you do a locator spell, you think?" Spike asked.  
  
"Sure, that's easy," Willow answered.  
  
"D-Do you have a map? That's t-the easiest way," Tara wondered.  
  
Giles got her a map and the Wiccas started doing the spell.  
  
"I hope that she hasn't just taken into a hotel now," Anya said. "Me and Xander had to stop…"  
  
Xander put a hand over her mouth. "It's really not necessary to tell them, An," he said.  
  
"Xander, can you collect some bloody weapons, instead of talking of sex with your girlfriend?" Spike asked in a low voice. "Buffy could be in danger; we need to find her."  
  
"Since when did you start caring so much about Buff, Spike?" Xander wondered, amused at the Englishman's distressed expression.  
  
"I don't, but I assume you do, mate, so start digging weapons," Spike threatened, not really wanting to show how worried he was.  
  
They all got to work. Spike mostly paced, walking back and forth thinking of Buffy and who had taken her.  
  
Buffy.  
  
She was the most stubborn, annoying, childish… bravest, gorgeous… He didn't know when it had happened, but he had gotten feelings for her. He had strong feelings. For the Slayer. Well, weirder things had happened.  
  
"We've got it!" Tara suddenly burst out, pointing to a spot on the Sunnydale map.  
  
"That place," Giles said, "It is known as an holdout for various creatures, all non human. It is a very dangerous place."  
  
"Yeah, it must be, for them to be able to hold Buff," Xander said. "She doesn't go without a fight."  
  
"Well, what are we bloody waiting for?" Spike asked. "The longer we wait, the more chance they have to hurt her."  
  
"And you're absolutely not worried," Xander mocked him.  
  
"And you fellas not?" he asked. Xander shrugged. "Get off my case then, mate," Spike continued.  
  
They got weapons: Crossbows, stakes, axes and various other items. Giles was the only one who stayed, to keep the shop running. He had given them detailed instructions on what to do, though.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
They reached the place in no time, although it to all of them felt like forever. The place was an old house, which had seen better days. Back then, it had been white; now it was gray from dirt and flaked off color. The windows were all covered, and the whole place had a scary feeling to it. It was the perfect hide out.  
  
"Okay," Spike said. "You go two and two. Red and Tara, Xander and Anya. Remember, the most important thing is to get the Slayer out safely. Everyone's got weapons?"  
  
They all nodded. "Then let's go and kick some sodden demon ass."  
  
The gang crept slowly in the door. It creaked as they opened, and once they were inside, they split up like Spike had said.  
  
Willow and Tara took to the left, through a room that looked like it might have been the living room earlier on. Through slits in the windows a dim light shone in, making the room look spooky. Everything was deadly quiet.  
  
Xander and Anya sneaked up the stairs to the right. They too creaked as they went, and the two were scared that they might attract the attention of whatever creatures inhabited the house. On the second floor, a vampire came at them, but it was quickly discarded as Xander drove a stake through its heart.  
  
Spike had walked straight into the house. When that floor didn't give him anything, he found another set of stairs, which he went up. On the second floor, he found Xander and Anya again, and they decided, all three, to go up to the third floor.  
  
"This is really spooky," Anya complained. "I don't want to be here."  
  
"You don't have a choice, An," Xander responded, quietly, as Spike gestured to them to be quiet.  
  
On the third floor they discovered the first sign of life in the house. Thousands of flickering lights were set out on the floor, in every room they passed. Suddenly, they were attacked. Five vampires jumped at them, game faces on. Spike kicked the first one to the floor, then right handed the second one over to Xander, who drove the stake through the vampire's heart. Anya kicked the third one with the heel of her shoe, grounding it to the floor, before staking it. Spike staked the first one, then took care of the other two in a matter of seconds, with help from Anya and Xander.  
  
"C'mon, we're getting closer to something," Spike muttered to the two, and they made their way up the stairs where the candles continued. They did no longer care to be quiet; they knew the inhabitants knew they were there.  
  
But nothing could have prepared them for the fourth floor.  
  
Vampires everywhere, bowing on their knees, all facing the middle. There, on a podium, stood a demoness with long black hair and a black dress, holding a knife with both hands, swinging it back and forth while chanting in some language they Spike, Xander and Anya did not know. Next to the demoness though, was the thing that made their hearts stop.  
  
Buffy sat there, staring out over the vampires with an empty look. She was dressed in a long black dress. Her face was beaten, bruised and she didn't seem to know what she was doing.  
  
"Where are the Wiccas?" Spike asked, quietly. They were sitting hid behind a big wooden balk.  
  
"Right here," Willow panted. "Oh my gosh."  
  
"Red, do you know what the bloody hell that bitch is doing?" Spike asked Willow and pointed at the demoness in the middle.  
  
"She's chanting, in … ancient Latin, I think," Willow answered. "The vampires are under her control, in some kind of trance, I believe."  
  
"W-we need to get going," Tara mumbled, "The spell is a-almost finished."  
  
Spike nodded. "Can you do a spell to help us with the vampires or something?"  
  
"We can do a slowing spell, s-so they won't be able to move so fast," Willow offered.  
  
"Do whatever. I'm going; we need the bloody Slayer out of here."  
  
With that, he, with Xander in tow, leaped out among the vampires. Willow and Tara began chanting, and Anya looked after her boyfriend for a second, before deciding to join him.  
  
Stakes were put through the one un-beating heart after the other, but the amount of vampires in the room was enormous. The three Scoobies were slowly making their way through the crowd, but not without getting hurt. Vampires hit them, kicked them, and turned the stakes so they penetrated the human flesh instead.  
  
"– Slow evil creatures down!" Spike heard the Wiccas finish the spell, and suddenly, the room seemed to stop dead. The staking went faster, because the vampires could hardly defend themselves.  
  
"Red! Get that bitch to stop chanting!" Spike screamed to Willow and she nodded. With her hand in Tara's, the two started fighting their way to the middle of the room.  
  
Spike fought furiously and got there first. He grabbed hold of the demoness' black dress, getting her unbalanced. She stopped chanting for a second, but then she kicked Spike in the face, and continued. Spike crawled up on the podium and stood between the demoness and Buffy. She was beautiful but Spike had learned to not go by looks.  
  
"Go away, you silly man," the demoness breathed.  
  
"I'm not going to let you hurt her, bitch," Spike said, anger glowing in his eyes.  
  
"Then I'll just kill you," she said, and with one slash of the knife, she had sliced his chest up. Spike screamed in pain, but instead of falling to the floor, he grabbed hold of the demoness, and turned the knife she was holding towards her. He was holding the blade, and it was cutting into his hand making it bleed. But he didn't care. He pressed on, and with one last push, he shoved it through her hand. She screamed, then exploded in a heap of red dust, and together with her all the vampires around her dusted to, as if it was suddenly raining stakes.  
  
Spike stood panting, still holding the knife. Then he turned around to Buffy, who still sat and stared out, her eyes showing nothing.  
  
"B-Buffy?" he asked.  
  
He untied her quickly and picked her up in his arms. They got down from the podium and he walked over to the Scoobies.  
  
"Should we take her to the hospital, you think, Red?" he asked Willow.  
  
"I-I don't know. I think we should take her home, her-her Slaying powers usually do the rest."  
  
So they did. Slowly, they descended the stairs, which were now all dark since the lights had gone out when the demoness had exploded. When they got outside, they all breathed a sigh of relief. They all felt the same thing; If they were never to enter that house again, it would be too soon.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Spike put Buffy down on her bed, with everyone watching. She had her eyes closed now and seemed to be unconscious. She hadn't moved or said anything since they first saw her at the house, and that scared them all. She wasn't usually this way. Normally, she would be up, fighting new demons by now.  
  
"I'm guessing they drugged her pretty bad or something," Willow said to Joyce, who was sitting on the bed, holding her eldest daughter's hand.  
  
"Are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital?" Anya asked, but no one answered.  
  
Spike, who'd left the room, came back with a first aid kit in his hands. Slowly and carefully, he began cleaning the cuts and bruises on the Slayer's face.  
  
"Well," Xander said, "Since there's not much more we can do, maybe we should go."  
  
"Yeah, we should," Willow said. "Good bye, Joyce, bye, Spike."  
  
They all said good bye to each other, and after Joyce had thanked them all for bringing her daughter home, they left. Joyce left the room to see them out and to go talk to Dawn of what had happened, which left Spike alone with Buffy. He tended the wounds on her forehead, then took her jacket off, revealing even more cuts.  
  
"Buffy, you need to wake up," he mumbled and stroke some hair out of her face. "You can't just lay there, your friends need you, you know. And your family. Especially Dawn, I think, because she's really upset about your parents' divorce." He looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I shouldn't talk about that I guess. I know you were really upset about it, pet. But don't worry, it will be okay." He paused, and kissed her forehead gently. "I need you too, you know. For some bloody reason, I've come to like you, you know."  
  
Suddenly, Buffy moved, and she opened her eyes.  
  
"Why hello Slayer," Spike said with a grin.  
  
"S–Spike? Where am I?" she asked very quietly, and looked around with fear in her eyes. "Where is she?"  
  
"Don't worry, love, she's gone," Spike said softly and stroke gently over her bruised forehead.  
  
"You–you saved me?" she asked, staring at him.  
  
"Yes, me and the other Scoobies. Now, you need to relax. Although you might want to get out of those clothes, pet. Not very comfy to sleep in, I imagine."  
  
Buffy continued to stare at him as if she still wasn't sure it was really him, or that she was home, safe. The drugs or whatever magic that bitch had used on her still had its hold on her, Spike thought grimly.  
  
He helped her sit up and she took of her shirt, revealing her bra. He looked away, feeling his own arousal as he saw her like that, but intent on not using her when she was in this state. It wouldn't be fair to her. Instead, he handed her her nightgown, which she put on. Then she took of her pants, and he helped her in bed, thinking that maybe he should get Joyce instead.  
  
But Buffy's words stopped him.  
  
"Stay with me," she asked.  
  
"Okay, pet," he said and sat down on the side of her bed, holding her right hand as she fell back asleep.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy woke in the morning feeling much better than the night before. The room was light; it was nice to see the sun again. She noticed that someone was still holding her hand.  
  
Spike.  
  
He was sitting by her, asleep him too. It was an odd feeling to have him hold her like that, but she found that – to her own surprise – she liked it.  
  
She nudged his arm to wake him. He stirred and opened his eyes.  
  
"Hey," she said softly.  
  
He looks cute, she thought. Hey, was the next thought, that's not what you're supposed to think of him!  
  
"Hey. Feeling better now?" he asked her.  
  
"Yeah. Although, you'll have to fill me in on what happened, 'cause I don't remember it all."  
  
"Sure, pet."  
  
He seemed to realize that he was still holding her hand, and he quickly let go. He stood up, and suddenly Buffy could see the angry red gash he had over his chest.  
  
"Spike, you're hurt!" she exclaimed, sitting up.  
  
"It's nothing, pet."  
  
"Come here, let me see," she said, ignoring him.  
  
Reluctantly, he sat down next to her. Gently, she ran her fingers over it. "It won't need stitches, I think," she said, "But we need to put something on it so it doesn't get infected."  
  
"What love, you worried about me?"  
  
"Yeah, just like you were for me, Spike. My memory might have been clouded, but not that bad."  
  
"Oh bloody hell, don't tell me you heard what I said," he groaned. "I was delirious, or something."  
  
"Spike, it was sweet."  
  
"I didn't mean… Huh? What did you say?" He stopped dead in his denial.  
  
"It was sweet. I liked it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
An awkward silence fell. Neither knew what to say. Finally, Buffy looked around and saw the first aid kit. She grabbed it and began working on Spike's chest. He winced in pain as she put disinfecting alcohol on a piece of fabric and taped it there with hospital tape. She had also noticed his bloody hand, and she took a look at it. There were three long cuts reaching from one side of his palm to the other. She disinfected that too, and then wrapped his hand up.  
  
"That's better," she said and smiled a little. "We should go downstairs."  
  
"Um… Yeah, sure, pet."  
  
"Just let me get dressed."  
  
He nodded and left the room. She remembered how he'd helped her that night before, and she could still feel his warm hand holding hers. It had been nice.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Her father moved out of the house that following week. One day when Buffy got home from school, all his clothes were gone, and she found her little sister crying in the kitchen.  
  
"Dawn? Dawnie? What is it?"  
  
"He's gone," the younger girl sobbed and looked up at her sister. Buffy sat down beside her on the couch and hugged Dawn, who clung to her.  
  
"I know, Dawn," she whispered. "I know it's hard, sweetie."  
  
"He's not coming back," Dawn said, still letting her being hold by Buffy. "He took all his stuff, and he told me to take care of me. He left – He left like he was some friend who was leaving after a visit."  
  
"Shh," Buffy whispered. "It's okay… You'll see him again, don't worry. Everything will be all right."  
  
"But I don't want him to go! I want it to be like it was before, Buffy," she sobbed. "I hate him like this; I don't want him to be with someone else than mom!"  
  
Buffy just sat there, whispering soothing words to her little sister, while not really knowing what to say, because she felt the same way. Finally, Dawn told her that she was going to her room, and Buffy nodded. Dawn left. Just seconds later, Buffy heard someone enter the house.  
  
"How are you, Nibblet?" she heard Spike ask her sister.  
  
"I'm okay, Spike," was the response. Creaks from the wooden stairs told her her sister had left.  
  
Spike came into the living room, backpack on his back and a jacket on.  
  
"Hello, pet," he said to Buffy.  
  
"Hi Spike," Buffy responded in a tone that implied, I'm not in the mood for a fight.  
  
"What's wrong?" Spike asked and sat down where Dawn had just been sitting.  
  
"Nothing," Buffy mumbled, but when she noticed Spike's gaze, she added, "It's dad. My parents' divorce. It upsets Dawn and it upsets me."  
  
"Well of course it does, pet. Why wouldn't it? My parents split up when I was six years old, so it was a while ago, but I still remember the pain. It hurts like hell, and it feels like it's your fault. Right?"  
  
Buffy closed her eyes and nodded.  
  
"Listen to me, Buffy," Spike said and held a finger under her jaw. "It is not your fault. It wouldn't have mattered if you would have been home more, skipped some slaying, or helped more. It would still have happened. No one is to blame but your dad and his decisions, okay?"  
  
She was quiet. Finally she nodded, and said with tears in her eyes, "How come you know me so well?"  
  
"I pay attention, pet. Just promise me that you won't blame yourself, all right?"  
  
Buffy nodded. "I'm gonna try."  
  
"Good girl." He put a hand on her shoulder and she surprised herself by leaning on him.  
  
"Thank you," she said.  
  
"For what?" He looked puzzled.  
  
"For everything. For saving me that first time, for helping me with the math, for being nice – at times at least," she smiled, "for rescuing me last week, and for just being you, always."  
  
"That's a lot of thank yous, pet," he smiled.  
  
"I know. And you deserve every one of them." She smiled back at him and snuggled closer to him. It felt so nice to be the one being held for once.  
  
"Well, you're welcome, love." He decided to be brave, and planted a kiss on her forehead. She tensed for a second, then relaxed back in his arms. It felt so good. 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 4  
  
  
  
Christmas was getting closer. Outside, it was very cold, so people kept inside. The stores were Christmas decorating, with green, red and silvery colors, Christmas trees, little Santa Clauses and various other items, all making it look like Yuletide.  
  
"What do you want for Christmas?" Willow asked Buffy on December eighteenth, just days before Santa would come. Of course, neither Buffy nor Willow believed in him anymore, but it was interesting to think, 'what if'.  
  
At the moment, the two girls were sitting at a café, both drinking hot chocolates.  
  
"I dunno," Buffy shrugged.  
  
"Oh come on, Buffy, there must be something…" Willow whined, taking a zip of her drink.  
  
I want my dad back, Buffy thought sadly. He had been gone for almost two months, and he hadn't as much as called. Buffy figured he was happy to be out. But even so, it made her sad to think that this Christmas, not all the family was going to be there. She had never had a family member missing at Christmas, never.  
  
"Will, I don't want anything. I would like to just forget Christmas, not have it happen at all."  
  
"You miss your dad, don't you," Willow said softly.  
  
Buffy was quiet for a second before answering, "Yeah, I do. Oh Will, I don't know how I'm gonna get through Christmas. It's gonna be so horrible."  
  
Willow reached out to Buffy and hugged her friend. "Don't worry," she said, "It will be okay."  
  
"Everyone keeps telling me that, but I just can't see that it will. It just hurts, all of it, and it feels like it is going to hurt forever."  
  
"Well, I don't know what to say," Willow said, "Because I have never been through it. But you know that I'll be here for whatever you need, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I do."  
  
"So, what do you say we go out and do some serious Christmas shopping. I still have to get stuff for Xander and Giles; who do you have left?"  
  
"Everyone. I haven't bought anything for anyone."  
  
"Buffy! It's like a week till Christmas – don't you think you should get started?"  
  
"Sure," Buffy said, but she didn't feel very enthusiastic.  
  
"Well then, let's go," Willow said. They finished their cups of chocolate and left the café.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
All in all, they ended up having a good time, Buffy had to admit. It was quite a lot of fun, and Buffy managed to get presents for everyone. She felt proud of herself about that for some reason. She was glad that Willow had made her go out with her.  
  
There was a knock on her door. Hastily, Buffy put the unwrapped presents underneath her bed and finished wrapping Dawn's, which was the one she'd been working on for the last few minutes.  
  
"Come in," she said, and the door opened. "Hi Spike."  
  
"Hello," he said. "What are you doing with all that bloody wrapping stuff?"  
  
"Guess twice."  
  
"Hey, no need to get bitchy, pet," he exclaimed, looking offended.  
  
Buffy didn't look up; she continued working on the bow on Dawn's present. When she was done, she wrote a little card saying, 'to Dawn from Buffy – Merry Christmas, little sis', then put it on her bed among the other finished presents.  
  
"Cute," Spike said, looking at the card.  
  
"Hey, you're not supposed to read! Not before Christmas, at least."  
  
"How else am I supposed to know if it's for me, pet?" he asked, looking innocent.  
  
God, he's so cute when he does that, Buffy thought.  
  
"You're not!" Buffy bellowed and snatched the presents away from him. It didn't matter that his present wasn't among the lot in her arms – it was under her bed with the other gifts she hadn't wrapped it yet – it was just the principle that he shouldn't see any of the presents before Christmas Day.  
  
"Not sodden fair," Spike whined, although a smile played in the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Life isn't fair, bleach boy," Buffy teased.  
  
"Ooh, Slayer getting on her high horses again," Spike smiled and moved closer to her.  
  
"I am not. And by the way, if you get one step closer, I am going to hit you," she warned. She knew he'd do it.  
  
"Oh really?" Spike mocked, and took another step.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Buffy whispered as she pushed him back on the bed.  
  
He landed with a thump.  
  
"Ouch, what was that good for?" he asked her, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
She came walking over to the bed. He looked so innocent and suddenly, an urge of needing to kiss him hit her. She bent down and planted a kiss on his mouth. He seemed surprised at first, but it didn't take him long to realize what they were doing, and he kissed her back.  
  
His lips are so soft and warm, she thought and pressed her tongue into his mouth. It felt so good, and she didn't understand why she hadn't done it before. Why had she hated him? She couldn't remember.  
  
She rolled off him, panting. It was all going a little too fast. She just lay in his arms, and it felt good. It felt safe, away from the chaos going on in her life.  
  
"Can I stay here tonight?" he asked her.  
  
"Sure," she answered quietly, already half asleep.  
  
She snuggled up closer to him. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.  
  
Beside her, with his arm still around her, Spike lay, just looking at her. Damn she's beautiful, he thought. That kiss they had shared… It had been nothing short of amazing. Her lips, so warm and sweet, better than anyone he had ever kissed before. Maybe it was the fact that he had been waiting for that kiss for so long that made it so great, but he knew it wasn't only that. He was in love with her. Now, that was the easy part. Getting her to fall in love would be a little harder, he thought.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The next day, Buffy awoke slowly. She was only half-aware that someone had an arm around her, and when she turned around and saw that it belonged to Spike, she quickly pushed it away.  
  
Oh god, she thought, what have I done. She remembered their kiss, how good it had felt, but… It wasn't right. She wasn't in love with him. And now she had led him on, giving him false hope. He was a good – great – friend, nothing else.  
  
She touched his arm to wake him.  
  
"Spike," she muttered to the sleeping figure, "Spike, you need to get up."  
  
"Huh? Pet? What… Oh yeah," he mumbled, realization of where he was and why coming over his face. "Good morning, pet."  
  
"Spike, you need to get out of here."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
She didn't answer him, just pulled him off her bed.  
  
"Hey, Buffy, wait a second," he exclaimed. "You're not saying that – that what happened last night was a mistake, are you?"  
  
She looked up at his startled expression. "Spike," she began, "I am not in love you. What happened with you yesterday – It-it wasn't supposed to happen."  
  
"So it was all a sodden mistake for you?" Hurt was beginning to take over his face.  
  
"You know it wasn't supposed to be…" She trailed off, reading on his face that he didn't see it as a mistake, and he thought it was supposed to be.  
  
"Well, Slayer," he said, his voice suddenly hard. "I hope you had fun, because it is not going to happen again." With those words, he left, slamming the door so the walls shook as he walked out of her room. She sunk down on her bed, her head in her hands. What had she done?  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Later that day, at one, a sad Buffy made her way into the Magic Box. All the Scoobies, all smiling and wishing her an early Merry Christmas met her there.  
  
"We thought you would never show up," Anya said with only a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Now can we open presents?"  
  
"Buffy, where is Spike?" Willow asked coming over and hugging her friend. "I thought you said he was going to come too."  
  
"He – He had made other plans," Buffy lied quietly, knowing that Spike was sitting at home, in his room with a closed door.  
  
"Oh. Well, that's too bad," Willow responded. "I got him a present."  
  
She walked back over to Tara and sat down.  
  
The reason they were having the gift exchange so early this year was because both Tara and Xander were going away with their parents over Christmas. So now, they all sat down around the table, and each had a bag full of wrapped presents in it.  
  
"Who wants to start then?" Xander asked.  
  
"Let's take one present at the time," Willow said. "One gives one present, then the next one gives one present, you know."  
  
The gang agreed, and soon they were all deeply involved in giving out gift and guessing what they contained. Packages were shaken, cards read, but nothing was opened. As their bags emptied out, the heaps in front of them increased in size. Even Giles seemed to be having a good time.  
  
"Okay, I think that's all," Willow said, nodding at all the bags which were now lying empty on the floor.  
  
"Yeah, let's start opening some of these goodies," Xander smiled, his eyes twinkling like a child's.  
  
Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of paper being ripped. Buffy started with a present from Willow. It contained a blue top that Buffy had been looking at for a while.  
  
"Thanks, Will, I love it!" she exclaimed to her friend.  
  
"You're welcome. Thanks to you too, by the way. These earrings are just beautiful," she smiled.  
  
Buffy continued on her heap, after each present she thanked the giver. She got a cute but revealing dress from Anya, a CD from Giles – "They guy in the shop said it was what you youngsters listen to now," he had explained, blushing –, the first Harry Potter book from Tara, which she was a little surprised at.  
  
"Well, I-I love those books, so I thought you might want to-to read them," she explained.  
  
"I'm sure I will enjoy them," Buffy said honestly, "As long as I have time to read them." Tara had smiled at her at this comment.  
  
A pang hit her when Buffy had opened all her gifts that she hadn't given all of hers away. Of course, the ones for her family were still in her closet waiting for Christmas Day. But one, one of those presents, the one for Spike, she had intended to give away today.  
  
Oh well, she thought, pushing the bad feeling away. I'll give it to him on Christmas morning instead.  
  
They all sat and talked for the rest of the night. At one thirty in the morning, though, a tired Scooby Gang decided to call it a night. With another set of 'Merry Christmases', they broke up and each left for home. Xander and Tara, Buffy wouldn't see again until school started, but the others were staying and they promised they'd meet up for other things than slaying during the break. Giles said that he'd be coming by her house on Christmas Day. Buffy knew that that was just as much to see her mother, as it was to see her. She smiled at the thought.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Christmas came and passed much more peacefully than Buffy had expected it to. Even doing it all without her father around went all right; Dawn too was in a good mood. The only cloud in the sky at the moment was that she and Spike were not even talking to each other, which bugged her, because he'd used to help her a lot, with all different things. But it wasn't just that she missed his help; she missed talking to him and teasing him. She didn't like having him turn around every time he saw her and leave the room every time she entered. She missed her friend.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
School started again and once again, Buffy was juggling school with Slayer duties. Slaying seemed to take up more and more time; the Hellmouth seemed to be quite active at the moment, which tired the Slayer out enormously. She could be up until two and tree in the morning, just slaying ugly vampires, who decided that the Slayer wasn't such a big threat after all. Buffy couldn't remember when she had last gotten a whole, full eight hours worth of sleep. Not even on the weekends could she relax, since she was getting behind in her schoolwork, and with Giles' training, her weekends were booked. Classes, she had decided, was the only time she had to sleep.  
  
"Buffy, wake up!" Willow pushed her friend in the side and Buffy awoke.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry," she smiled sheepishly.  
  
"You really should listen a-a little to the class," Willow said.  
  
"Well, I'm trying, but I'm just tired, you know."  
  
"I know what we'll do," Willow said happily.  
  
"You're not going to patrol tonight!"  
  
"Will… I have to," Buffy said tiredly.  
  
"No you don't. We'll do it for you. And you stay home and sleep, for once."  
  
"You sure?" Buffy asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I am. I don't think the other ones will object either. You need to rest, even Giles has said so."  
  
This was true; Buffy's Watcher had indeed told her during their last practice that she wasn't concentrated and that she needed get better rest.  
  
"Fine," Buffy said. "I'll go home and sleep. If the others agree," she added.  
  
They walked by a couple of seniors in the hallway, who were working on putting up posters.  
  
"Oh that's right," Willow said, pointing at the poster. "The Winter Formal dance is coming up. Are you gonna go?"  
  
"No," Buffy answered. "If someone asks me I guess I'll do it, but otherwise no. I'm not really in the mood to get all dressed up like a stupid Barbie doll."  
  
"Buffy, is something wrong?" Willow asked.  
  
"Nah, not really. Nothing other than the usual." She had told Willow weeks earlier that she and Spike were fighting, and although Willow felt bad for Spike, she was on Buffy's side; if she didn't want to be romantically involved with Spike, she shouldn't be.  
  
"So, are you gonna go?" Buffy asked, referring to the dance.  
  
"Who knows, Tara and I might actually do it. I'll just have to see how much it costs; I'm not too high on money at the moment."  
  
Buffy smiled at the comment, recognizing her own situation. She didn't have that much money either.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Sleeping had never felt so good before, Buffy thought the next day as she awoke for the first time in weeks, completely rested.  
  
Suddenly, Buffy's door opened.  
  
"Buffy?" It was Spike. "Buffy, are you awake?"  
  
"Yeah, I am," Buffy said sitting up in her bed, surprised that Spike was actually talking to it. "What is it?"  
  
"Willow's in the hospital," Spike said uneasily, looking away from her.  
  
"What?!" Buffy jumped off her bed. "She'll be okay, though, right?"  
  
"They – they don't know," Spike mumbled.  
  
"Oh my gosh, this is all my fault," Buffy whispered. "I should have gone patrolling with you yesterday…"  
  
"Calm down, Slayer," Spike said, his words soft but his voice as cold as ice. Just like it had been every time he had had to address her the last few weeks, Buffy thought sadly, then returning her thoughts to Willow.  
  
"It wasn't a demon, it was a car accident. You couldn't have done anything about it. We were walking home when this bloody car came out of nowhere and hit her."  
  
"I need to go there," Buffy said, putting on her clothes. It was a school day, but she didn't care. She needed to see her friend. Oh god, Willow…  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
They reached the hospital in less time than they thought possible. Spike walked ahead of her up the stairs to where the other Scoobies and Willow's mother were sitting. Xander holding Anya's hand, Giles pacing back and forth, and Tara sitting staring out with an empty look, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. Buffy sat down by her and hugged her. Tara didn't say anything; she just leaned on Buffy and shook with tears.  
  
They sat there for hours, waiting for news. The Scoobies had already been there for several hours before she came, Buffy realized. They had decided to let her sleep, since that was what Willow had wanted the day before.  
  
Her last wish, Buffy thought sadly, before pushing the thought away. She's not gone yet, and she's not going to go anywhere – be positive!  
  
A while later, a doctor came to them, a faint smile on his face. He talked to Willow's parents for a while, and then he left. It relieved Buffy to see that they weren't crying when they turned around. She took this as a good sign.  
  
"Well, how is she?" Xander asked worriedly.  
  
"The doctor said she'd broken both her legs, one arm and punctured one lung, and she has a concussion. But the doctor says she's going to make it."  
  
This made the whole Scooby Gang cheer. 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 5  
  
  
  
None but Willow's parents were allowed in until later that day. Giles decided that the best thing to do would be for them all to go to school, so that they would have something to do. If anything changed at the hospital, he'd call them. So, reluctantly, Buffy, Spike, Xander and Anya went to school. Tara stayed.  
  
"I-I am not moving, until I have s-seen her" she said, and both Giles and everyone else knew it wouldn't do any good to try and convince the Wicca to change her mind.  
  
Buffy tried hard to concentrate on her classes, but her mind kept drifting off to the hospital. It was her fault, all her fault. If she had gone patrolling the day before, Willow wouldn't have, then Willow wouldn't have been hurt. If she hadn't been complaining that she was tired, Willow wouldn't have offered to go instead of her, and she wouldn't have been hurt. If Buffy had concentrated a little harder on all her duties and been more like a Slayer, she wouldn't have been tired, Willow wouldn't have offered, and she wouldn't have gotten hurt. If, if, if. Every thought that passed her mind ended with, It's my fault.  
  
By the time the last bell rang to let them out of school, Buffy had worked up herself both a headache and slight hysteria, and she was almost in tears at the thought of Willow.  
  
"Buff," Xander tried to comfort her in the car on the way back to the hospital, "She'll be okay."  
  
"But it's my fault," Buffy whispered. "If I would have gone instead of you yesterday –"  
  
Xander broke her off, saying, "You couldn't have known. Willow knows as well as I do that you would never do anything to hurt us. It is not your fault," he said again, shooting a look at Spike, who sat next to him in the driver's seat, and who had snorted at Xander's comment that she would never hurt any of them.  
  
"She really doesn't need to hear that now," he muttered to Spike.  
  
"Oh sod off mate," Spike responded, never taking his eyes off the road.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Willow's parents had left for work after seeing that their daughter was all right, so only Tara and Giles met them at the hospital. Tara looked a lot better now than she had when Buffy had left, with a slight smile instead of tears on her face. The Scoobies were let into Willow's room one at the time. She was awake, though not talking much because she was drugged against the pain. Xander went first; he stayed there for quite a while, talking to her. He was doing most of the talk, of course. Anya went next; she only talked to Willow shortly. When she returned out and walked over to Xander, Spike, who stood next to Buffy, asked, "You want to go?"  
  
She looked up at him, looking slightly lost since she'd been far away in her thoughts. "What? Uh no, you go. I'll do it last."  
  
He shrugged and walked into the room.  
  
"Hey Red," he said and sat down in a chair next to her.  
  
"Hi," she answered in a small voice.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked, although he knew was a dumb question.  
  
"Okay…" Willow mumbled.  
  
"Well, you know," he said, and continued with a twinkle in his eyes, "You need to get well again. Can't have you lying here being bloody lazy all day long, now can we?"  
  
Willow gave him a slight smile.  
  
"That's my girl," Spike said, "That's the Wicca I know."  
  
He bent down and kissed her on her forehead. He didn't know why; he didn't know her all that well. But what he knew of her, he liked, and he regarded her as a friend.  
  
"Buffy's coming in next, so don't fall asleep," Spike warned as he saw her yawn. "She's kinda upset, so you might need to calm her down."  
  
He turned to leave, but Willow's quiet voice stopped him.  
  
"Be friends with her again," she said quietly. "She wants that."  
  
Spike stood staring at the redhead in the hospital bed for a second. Then he turned around and left the room without another word or showed emotion.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy came home late that night. Giles drove her home from the hospital as Spike had already left by the time she was done talking to Willow. The time in Willow's room had been spent talking, as there wasn't much else they could do. Willow had assured Buffy more than once that it wasn't her fault that the car had hit her. It was the driver's fault and no one else's. Possibly her own, because she hadn't looked carefully enough, but Willow didn't say that, as it would probably, somehow, make Buffy think it was her fault anyway. It was hard enough as it was.  
  
"But if I hadn't been so tired," Buffy had began again, tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Buffy, you might be the Slayer but you're still human," Willow had answered her softly. "It is not your fault."  
  
Finally, Buffy had believed it. More or less, at least. She still felt guilty, but not as much as before. And that night, Buffy still dreamed of Willow in front of a big black car, hitting her, throwing her to the ground. Buffy herself was in the dream set in chains, having to watch it over and over again. She woke up again and again, sweaty and crying.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
It was a week before the doctors agreed to let Willow out of the hospital. Her broken legs were both in casts, as was her arm, and she was sitting in a wheel chair. Her face and different body parts were still covered with band-aids, but she was out of the hospital, at least.  
  
"Let's hope nothing bad that requires a great lot of magic shows up now," Xander said, as they all were gathered in the Magic Box. Buffy and Giles were taking a break in her training, Anya was behind the counter, Tara was helping her girlfriend with anything and everything, and Xander was sitting at the table making comments about everyone at the same time as he was attempting his homework.  
  
"Hey," Willow said, "You still have one fine witch" – she pointed at Tara – "and I'm not totally out of it. I can still – still do – uh – stuff."  
  
"We're just glad you're out," Buffy said, smiling, thinking that maybe her nightmares would go away now. She had had them all week, and she wasn't getting any good sleep because of them.  
  
"Yeah, we know you're not all out of it," Xander smiled. "Just teasing, you know."  
  
"So, who's coming with me patrolling tonight?" Buffy asked, changing the subject. "I mean not that you have to," she added quickly.  
  
"Sure we do," Xander said, "There are way too many bad demons out there for only the Slayer to take on. She'll need her friends."  
  
Still, she ended up going alone. Xander's father had called and said he had to come home and actually do his homework, threatening that he otherwise he'd be grounded for two whole weeks. At this, Xander had packed up fairly quickly, and said good bye to them all, including and annoyed Anya, who didn't want Xander to leave.  
  
When Buffy was about to leave, Willow had exclaimed, "But now you're going alone anyway."  
  
"It's okay, Will, really," she'd answered. "And anyway, who'd go with me?"  
  
She knew Tara wouldn't want to leave Willow's side, and besides, Tara wasn't a very good fighter. She was more of a thinker. Anya wasn't very good in battles either, so Buffy didn't mind not having her as company. That Giles would come with her patrolling was a joke, she though, imagining the older English gentleman staking vampires at twelve at night.  
  
Yet, when she made her way over the cemetery, she felt oddly alone. She had done it billions of times before, why she all of a sudden didn't like it, she didn't know.  
  
A vamp was coming her way, and it didn't take the bored Slayer long before she was surrounded by dust. Then came two more, and staking them didn't even make Buffy sweat. Finally, when everything seemed quiet, she decided to call it a night and made her way home.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
February was speeding past them as all the members – except Giles of course – busied themselves with loads of schoolwork. All their teachers seemed to have gotten the same thought during the winter break: "Let's give the students all the homework and tests we can possibly come up with." Even Spike, who Buffy rarely saw do any homework, was working long hours in his room.  
  
And he doesn't even have to care about his grades, Buffy thought with a sting of jealousy. No, in England they didn't count his year here, so he might just as well get 'F's in everything; his 'real' school wouldn't care.  
  
Dawn was the only one in the Summers' household who wasn't busy. Instead, she sat giggling on the phone with her girlfriends till Buffy or Joyce screamed at her to hang up because they needed to call someone.  
  
The phone rang and Buffy answered it. "Buffy Summers speaking," she said tiredly. She expected it to be one of Dawn's little friends again.  
  
"Hi, sweetie, it's me," she heard her mother say. "Would you mind making dinner today, honey? I won't be home until later, so if you could see to it that Dawn gets something to eat too? Please?"  
  
"Sure mom," Buffy answered her mother's plea. It wasn't the first time Joyce had worked over. Since their father had left, she had been working long and late hours at the gallery to get the money to last.  
  
"Maybe you could have Spike help you," her mother added.  
  
Was her mother blind or what? Buffy asked herself. Here she was; she hadn't talked to Spike – at least not in civil tone and at least not with him wanting to do it – for more than two months, and she suggested that he could help her make dinner. Jeez.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," she said to her mom, not wanting to get into the subject of Spike over the phone.  
  
"Then I'll see you later. I've got to run now; they're waiting for me. Bye, sweetie, I love you."  
  
"I love you too, mom," Buffy said and put the phone down.  
  
Now she had to add personal chef to the ever-growing list of things she had to do too? Of course, it had already been added to her list for quite some time. She had done dinners for Dawn, her and Spike at least ten or fifteen times already.  
  
Sighing, she turned on the stove, wondering what she should come up with to eat tonight.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"I love that dress," Buffy commented, "It's the best one so far."  
  
Willow turned around in the deep reddish brown dress, which fit snuggly to her body.  
  
"Yeah, I think I should take it. It's only thirty bucks too."  
  
"I definitely think you should take it."  
  
The two girls were out trying on dresses for the Winter Formal dance. Willow was still not out of her casts, but she was on crutches at the moment, and by the time the dance took place on February twentieth, she would be walking on her own. Tara and her had decided to celebrate that Willow would be well again by going to the dance.  
  
"Why can't you go too?" Willow whined. She had taken off the dress and put it on the counter to pay for it.  
  
"Because I have no one to go with," Buffy answered.  
  
"Then go with Spike," Willow said and picked up the bag that contained her dress. They started walking out of the store. "He's nice, and it is really about time you two stop fighting. You're not gonna have him at your place forever you know. He's going home in like four and a half month!" Her voice softened. "I know it seems like forever, but look how fast you've wasted these two months on fighting."  
  
"If we're gonna be friends, he's going to have to take the first step," Buffy said firmly. "He was the one who got all upset when I said that kissing him was a mistake, not me."  
  
Willow looked at her. "If you were in love with a person, don't you think you'd be upset if that person said that you were just a mistake too?"  
  
Buffy's head shot up. "He's not in love with me," she said.  
  
"Oh yeah? Then why does he give you all these looks when you don't see, why does he talk about you when you are not around, and why did he ask me to calm you down at the hospital?" She continued without waiting for an answer. "Because he cares about you. I admit, I don't know if he loves you yet, but he's definitely on the way there."  
  
Buffy was silent; she didn't know how to respond.  
  
"What – What does he say about me?" she asked finally.  
  
Willow shrugged. "He asks how you are. You know, just a question here and a question there, just so it doesn't seem like he really cares. But I know he does, I can see it in his eyes."  
  
Buffy looked at her friend. "But what am I supposed to do?" she asked. "He doesn't speak to me unless he has to; he even avoids being in the same room. How am I supposed to have conversation with him?"  
  
"I don't know Buffy, you're going to have to figure that one out."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
She really did try to get in the same room and talk to him after the conversation with Willow. But after failing once, her hopes went down, as he didn't want to listen to her.  
  
"I don't have time for this; I've gotta go, Slayer," he had said and slipped out the front door.  
  
She hated when he called her 'Slayer'. 'Pet' hadn't been that much better, but when he had called her that, there had been affection in the nickname. When he called her 'Slayer', it sounded cold and impersonal.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
So the Winter Formal dance came and went. Xander and Anya ended up joining Willow and Tara, while Buffy settled for a night home with her mother and little sister and a movie, before going out to patrol.  
  
Spike had gone; a pretty, tall blonde had met up with him at the house. Buffy wondered why he hadn't gone to pick her up. Maybe he wanted to show her that he could get some popular little lady to go with him if he wasn't good enough for her.  
  
"Why are you mad, Buff?" Dawn asked her as they sat down to watch 'the 6th sense'. Buffy, who'd already seen the movie four times, sighed and said, "Nothing, Dawnie, nothing."  
  
"I know what it is," Dawn exclaimed triumphantly. "You're jealous of that girl that Spike went with, 'cause you wanted to go with him."  
  
Buffy didn't respond; she didn't feel like trying to explain to Dawn that her theory was wrong, as Dawn wouldn't stop believing in it even if Buffy said differently. Dawn herself had gotten over her crush on Spike by now, which Buffy was glad for, since she then didn't have to see Dawn become all moony-eyed over the bleach-blonde Englishman.  
  
Their mother came in with popcorn and sodas for the two and it was time to pay attention to the movie.  
  
* * *  
  
"Atchoo!"  
  
Xander sneezed. "Bless you," was heard from more than one person at the Magic Box.  
  
"Xander, you getting sick?" Anya asked worriedly and came over and gave Xander a kiss.  
  
"Well, if I was," Xander said gently, "Shouldn't you be taking shelter somewhere far away so that you don't catch it too?"  
  
"Oh no, if I'm far away, I don't get sex," Anya responded.  
  
"Anya!"  
  
"What…"  
  
But that sneeze was just the beginning of a flu-season that swept over all of Sunnydale in the beginning of March. Everywhere, people were falling sick, and in school, Buffy noticed that there were more than one student gone, and teachers too for that matter.  
  
In the middle of it all, Joyce had to go away on a business meeting in Los Angeles for five days; it had been planned for weeks.  
  
"Oh," she said on the Sunday morning before she left, "I feel so bad leaving. What if one of you gets sick?"  
  
"Mom," Buffy answered, "You're going to LA, not the moon. Besides, we're not at any bigger risk to get sick now than we are normally. Right Dawn?"  
  
Dawn nodded quickly. She was eager to see her mother go, since it was a long time ago since they had been home alone.  
  
"Oh, okay then," Joyce said, "I'm going. By the way, where is Spike? I wanted to say good bye to him too."  
  
"I'll go up and wake that sleepy head up once you're gone. Besides, he's a big boy; I'm sure he's okay without you giving him hugs and kisses good bye."  
  
"All right then. Then I guess I'm ready."  
  
"Want me to help you with the bags?" Buffy asked and grabbed one before her mother had had time to answer, and she put it in the car.  
  
"Thanks Buffy. Sometimes it's good to have a super strong person around," she smiled. Then she gave both her daughters a kiss each, and she was off.  
  
"And there she goes," Dawn said, waving after her mom. "Now I'm going over to Stephanie's. She wanted me to sleep over, is that okay?"  
  
"Dawn! I thought you wanted to stay home now that mom isn't home," Buffy said.  
  
"Well, I'll enjoy that the rest of the week. See you later!"  
  
She dashed into the house, and before Buffy knew it, she was gone, the long dark ponytail swaying back and forth as she walked over to Stephanie's.  
  
Buffy herself went into the house and made breakfast. It was ten thirty and she was enjoying a day without homework or Slayer training to the fullest. At twelve, though, Buffy wondered where Spike was. She still hadn't heard him get up.  
  
It's not like I'm worried or anything, Buffy said to herself. He's fine. Like you said yourself, he's a big boy.  
  
But just minutes later, she decided to go up and wake him up, since he generally didn't like to sleep to late even on the weekends. Before their fight, he'd told her that getting up late on weekends screwed up his whole body clock. She hadn't really understood what he meant – she loved sleeping, it was just that she didn't get to do much of it.  
  
"Spike?" she asked, opening the door after knocking on it without answer twice.  
  
Inside it was dark, but she could hear him breathing, and as her eyes adjusted, she saw the sleeping figure on the bed. Slowly and quietly, she walked over to him, and shook him lightly. Surprised, she yanked her hand up. His skin was burning hot; he had a fever.  
  
"Spike?" she asked again, shaking him a little harder. She couldn't help but notice the hard muscles hid under the covers.  
  
"Get… off…" he muttered.  
  
"Spike, it's me, are you awake?" She was getting worried.  
  
"Slayer?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking at her.  
  
"Yeah," she said, ignoring the fact that he called her Slayer. "How are you feeling?"  
  
He didn't answer at first, then he said, "Cold… And a bloody headache too."  
  
"I think you've got the flu," Buffy said, thinking back to what Anya had told her of Xander's short illness. "Just rest and I'll get you some water, you need to drink."  
  
She pulled the covers tighter over him as he was trembling slightly and then went down to the kitchen to get water. She took a straw too, in case, and some aspirin.  
  
"Here you go," she said giving him the glass once she was back in the room. "There are some aspirins too, for the fever and the headache."  
  
He nodded, and used the straw to drink the water. Then he lay down and pulled the covers off him, muttering, "Hot…"  
  
It was odd, Buffy thought, seeing him like this. She had no doubt that he wasn't fully conscious of what he was doing, because if he was, he wouldn't let her take care of him like he was at the moment.  
  
As Spike fell back asleep, Buffy went downstairs and called Dawn at Stephanie's.  
  
"Stay at Stephanie's till tomorrow Dawn, because Spike's got the flu and I don't want you to catch it," she told her baby sister. Her sister didn't object; she wanted to stay at Stephanie's.  
  
After talking to Dawn, Buffy went back upstairs. Spike now lay shivering in bed, obviously freezing. She pulled his covers back up and held his hand gently. Then she got the idea that a massage might help him get warm, and ever so gently, she began massaging his back. He moaned. He was still shivering, but less than before.  
  
It is weird, she thought, looking down at the young man on the bed. Though still trembling, he was relaxed. She could see the side of his face, so tender and beautiful, and she felt so bad for the way she – no, they, had treated each other over the last months. She hadn't truly allowed herself to miss him, but being this close to him all of a sudden made her feel bad. She pulled his covers up over him again, even though she knew that it would probably only be minutes before he felt warm again and kicked them off. She was leaving, although she could not quite bring herself to do so. She hesitated for a moment, then she bent down and gave Spike a quick kiss on the cheek and whispered, "I'm sorry." 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 6  
  
  
  
That day and the next continued in the same way it had started; Buffy was playing nurse for Spike. Mostly, he slept, but then he was up and about, still with the fever running high. On Sunday morning, the English patient walked downstairs, then he sat down on the sofa and wouldn't get up and go to bed again, and Buffy had ended up carrying him up to the bedroom.  
  
"Jeez, you're heavy," she sighed as she put the man down on the bed. Actually, he hadn't been that heavy, it was just that getting up the stairs with someone bigger than yourself was really not that easy.  
  
Sighing again, she nursed him to some water, making him drink it in little, slow sips. Then, as he began trembling again, she gave him another massage; she'd found that helped him a lot.  
  
"I'm good Slayer…" he muttered. "Don't need your… bloody… help."  
  
"Sure, Spike," she answered him, still continuing the massage. She knew he was either dreaming or just plain imagining things, since his speech wasn't all that put together.  
  
"Hello, I'm home," she suddenly heard Dawn from downstairs.  
  
Buffy ended the massage, pulled the covers up on Spike and left the room. Downstairs, Dawn was taking her jacket off.  
  
"Hi Dawnie," Buffy said with a tired smile.  
  
"How's the patient doing?" Dawn asked, looking at the sister.  
  
"He's fine, just… sick."  
  
"Yeah, 'patients' usually are sick or hurt, you know," Dawn smiled. "He upstairs?"  
  
"Uh hu, he's sleeping though. I just gave him a massage, so he would –"  
  
"A massage?" Dawn asked incredulously. "Since when do you give him massages?"  
  
"Since yesterday. It helps against the fever, I think."  
  
"Right." Buffy could tell her sister didn't believe a word she was saying. "I'm going up to my room."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
On Sunday night Buffy went out patrolling, just like she had the night before. She was tired though – on the other hand, when aren't I tired, she thought – and she was happy that she didn't meet more than three vampires.  
  
The next morning, Spike's fever was finally going down, Buffy noticed happily. His body was no longer burning under her fingers, and when she peered in later during the day, he was actually awake and reading, though it seemed to be going slow.  
  
Silently, she made her way in.  
  
"Hi," she said nervously, stopping two or three feet away from his bed. "How are you feeling?"  
  
He didn't respond at once; first he put away the book. "Fine," he then said.  
  
"Uh… good. I have some more water for you; you still need to drink." She put the glass down on his bed stand.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Well then… I'll, uh, be leaving." Quickly, she turned around to leave, wanting to get out of this uncomfortable situation.  
  
"Wait, Buffy," he called on her.  
  
The fact that he was calling her by her name and not 'Slayer' made Buffy stop and turn around. The young man on the bed had an expression on his face, which held so many emotions: hurt, anger, sadness and hope.  
  
"What is it?" she asked equally quiet.  
  
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, quietly, but she heard. She took a step closer to him and sat down on the side of the bed.  
  
"I know," she said, "and I am too."  
  
It felt strange to sit this close to him again, but not bad strange. It was a feeling of coming home again; knowing that she was getting back to someone she trusted. Because even after what had happened between them, she trusted him, totally and completely. He took her hand and held it lightly, still weak. She stroke his hair with her free hand, gently.  
  
"So, are you feeling better?" she questioned him again.  
  
"Yeah, lots better," he replied, and she knew he wasn't only talking about the illness.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The rest of the week without her mother was less eventful. Spike recovered and he and Buffy were talking with each other, so Buffy couldn't say that the flu had come only as a bad thing. She was grateful, though, that neither she nor Dawn had caught it, since Buffy didn't feel like playing either role, neither nurse again or the sick patient.  
  
In school, she told Willow that Spike and her were friends again.  
  
"Oh good," the redhead answered. "I thought you'd never speak to one another again."  
  
"It's such a weird feeling," Buffy said, "These past two months feels like they didn't really happen."  
  
"That's how it is with real friends," Willow insisted. "They fight and then forget. Like me and Tara."  
  
"Yeah, but you're a couple, not just friends."  
  
Willow looked at her meaningfully.  
  
"No, no, Will, not going there," Buffy said, realizing what her friend was tending at. "That's what got me into this whole mess to begin with, the fact that I didn't have romantic feelings for him, and I didn't want him as a boyfriend."  
  
"Uh hu," Willow said, still looking at Buffy with a smug smile on her face. "Then why do you talk about him all the time, even when the two of you were fighting? Come on, Buffy, you are attracted to him, I know it." She paused, then said, "I need to turn here, so I'll see you later. Think about what I said."  
  
She turned into another corridor, while Buffy continued straight ahead.  
  
Think about what I said, Willow had told her. How could Buffy not think about it? Since Spike had been sick, it seemed that he was the only thing she thought about. While slaying, while in class, while practicing with Giles, while eating and even in her dreams, he was the reoccurring character. And something within her asked, how long are you going to pretend? He is not going to be here forever, as Willow had pointed out earlier on. If anything, it was just closer to him leaving now. She knew that she was going to miss him when he left, all of him. His smile, his talk, their banter. The loving looks he sent her way every time they talked now.  
  
You love him, and you know it, a voice told her. Act on it, or you'll regret it.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
March was coming to its end, and Buffy could feel the days rushing past her. She hadn't done anything about her realization that she loved Spike for over a week; she was still working up the nerve. At nights, she was out patrolling, and Spike had once more started going with her, especially on the nights when the Scoobies couldn't.  
  
The two were walking silently over the cemetery, the grass still wet from a recent rain. A vampire was strolling towards them, but as the creature saw the two, it turned around and fled into the woods. Buffy let it; there was no use in trying to catch it in the woods.  
  
"What are you thinking of, pet?"  
  
He had gone back to calling her pet, and she loved it. Feeling nervous, she answered quickly, "Nothing."  
  
"That came to quick."  
  
"No, really, it's nothing." I'm only thinking of you. She wanted to say it out loud, but didn't dare to. What if he didn't like her anymore? It had gone two months; maybe he had grown tired of her. She knew that he knew girls in the senior class – a couple of them had been by their house quite a few times – but none seemed to act as his girlfriend.  
  
"C'mon, pet, something's bugging you," he irked.  
  
She stopped and was just about to say something as a vampire came jumping out of a nearby bush. The vampire growled and threw himself forward.  
  
"Do you mind?" Buffy asked angrily as she punched the vampire on the nose. "We're trying to have a conversation here. Ever heard of that?" The vampire yelled in pain as Buffy kicked him onto the ground and sat down on him. "No? Then I guess you'll never hear of it." She set the stake through his heart and the creature was dust.  
  
As she stood up, she noticed Spike was chuckling. "And nothing's bugging you, pet? Try another one."  
  
"I was going to tell you," Buffy said, feeling nervous again, "Before that dust pile interrupted."  
  
"Oh really? Let's hear." He sounded amused.  
  
"Spike, shut up." He fell quiet.  
  
"You know," she began, "For someone who was lying sick and shivering in my hands just a week ago, you sure do have a lot of nerve." She paused, changing her tone. "I'm sorry for the way I hurt you, Spike –"  
  
"No need to…" he interrupted.  
  
"Quiet, please," Buffy begged. "I need to say this, without interruptions. I-I am sorry for the way I treated you and the way I obviously hurt you, and I'm sorry that I led you on to begin with. I didn't mean to." Spike was about to interfere again, but Buffy held up her hand to quiet him. "Seeing you every day, at home and in school, so angry with me that you wouldn't even look at me – it hurt me too. Jeez, I sound like someone from a really bad soap opera," she sniffled, suddenly having tears in her eyes. "Anyway. When you got sick, I felt really bad, and then, after we made up… Willow and I talked, you know… And she – she made m–me realize…" She couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to say the words.  
  
"Made you realize what, love?" Spike asked, putting a warm hand on her cheek, making her look at him.  
  
God, he has beautiful eyes, she thought, why didn't I ever notice before?  
  
"That – that I might… be in l-love with y-you," she whispered.  
  
Tears were falling down her cheeks now, although she didn't know why. It wasn't sad; she was supposed to be happy!  
  
She felt him put his arms around her, and saw him smile.  
  
"Good, pet, because I just might be in love with you too," Spike said, before bending down and meeting her lips. It was just as soft and sweet and warm as she remembered it, but this time it was even gentler, because both knew what they were doing. He wasn't driven by pure lust this time and she, she knew she had made a choice. She was in love.  
  
"Don't cry, love," Spike mumbled when they pulled apart. He stroke his hand carefully over her cheeks, wiping away tears.  
  
"We should get out of here," Buffy said, though not letting go of Spike. "It's not the world's most romantic place," she continued, pointing at the tombstones and grinning slightly.  
  
She had done it. She had told Spike that she was in love with him, and it felt so good. It was odd how things could change so suddenly. But maybe it hadn't been sudden at all. She had known him for almost eight months by now, and their relationship had changed a lot, going back and forth between hate and love. She could hardly remember what her life had been like before he had come to their house.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Being in love was the best feeling on earth, Buffy decided a couple of days later. The feeling of just being surrounded by love was amazing, like candy for her soul. Her friends noticed a change in her behavior too, saying that she seemed happier suddenly. Tara was the one who had established that she was in love, by seeing the change in her aura.  
  
"Your a-aura is all pink and fuzzy," she'd told Buffy. "Are you i-in love?"  
  
They had been at the magic box. Tara, Willow and Giles had been there, and Anya behind the counter. All four looked incredulously at her, Willow with a big grin.  
  
"So, you told him?" the redhead had asked her.  
  
Buffy had nodded, blushing. "Yeah, I did. Last night, when we were out patrolling."  
  
"Cool," Anya had yelled, "Have you had sex yet?"  
  
"Anya!" all four had cried. Buffy had gone even redder, thankful that no customers had been in the store at the time.  
  
"So, you're t-together now?" Tara had asked, smiling a little.  
  
"Yeah, I guess we are," Buffy had smiled back at her. She was happy.  
  
The gang had reacted positively at the fact that Buffy now had a boyfriend, and they had all agreed that Spike was the best one she could have chosen. Giles was the only one who was slightly concerned, saying that, "Well, he is going back to England in just a couple of months, so I hope you know what you are doing."  
  
"I'm not sure I know what I'm doing, Giles," Buffy had told him, "But I am happy with him, so just be happy for me, okay?"  
  
Her Watcher had nodded and agreed. She could tell, he was happy for her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
It was probably because of Spike, Buffy guessed, that time seemed to speed up even more now. The hours in school seemed as long and tedious as ever, but it was the weeks that just tended to sweep by. April had gone by without any problems, another hundred vampires staked – she guessed – and thankfully no apocalypse seemed to be coming at them. No, instead of doing research about some horrible monsters, Buffy spent her time with Spike. They didn't sleep together, because Buffy didn't feel completely ready for it, and Spike – though maybe frustrated by the fact – understood and kept to sensitive, hot, sweet kisses instead.  
  
"You know," he told her, "I might just be the happiest man on earth."  
  
She giggled and kissed him, and he held her tight. "I love you," she whispered.  
  
He buried his face in her hair holding her happily. "I love you too."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
So her life went on. She had gotten used to it all by now, living with her mother and sister and not her father around. Therefor, she got the shock of her life when she came home from school one afternoon in the beginning of May, and her father sat on the couch in the living room with a suitcase by his feet.  
  
"Dad!" she exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks.  
  
"Um… Hi Buffy," he said tentatively.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked angrily, forcing herself to get over the shock of seeing him for the first time in months.  
  
He didn't answer, he just looked uneasy.  
  
"Get. Out. Of. Here."  
  
"Buffy, please…"  
  
"Don't go Buffy-ing me! You left like five months ago, and you haven't even called since, so don't come here and try to be the father again! Get out!"  
  
She stormed off to her room, not wanting to see her father anymore. When she got to her room, she threw herself on the bed. Downstairs, she could hear Dawn come in about half an hour later, and her sister had an almost identical response to seeing her father again that Buffy had had. She yelled at him, Buffy could hear, and then she told him to go away. But instead of storming off to her room, Buffy heard the front door slam shut and she knew Dawn was heading for some friend of hers.  
  
Buffy stayed in her room the rest of that afternoon, her door shut.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Go away, Spike," Buffy told the person on the other side of the door.  
  
As usual, her boyfriend didn't listen to her, and the door opened. She sat up and looked miserably at him. He came in and sat down on her bed, and held her close. Suddenly, Buffy started crying.  
  
"How could he do that to me?" she sobbed. "How could he come back after all this time?"  
  
"I don't know, love," Spike answered quietly, stroking her golden hair gently. "But he obviously wants to talk to you."  
  
"Well, I don't want to talk to him," Buffy answered, leaning back so that she could look at Spike. "He left; he's not part of my life anymore."  
  
"Buffy, love, he will always be part of your life, because he's your father. A sodden poofter he is, but he's still your dad."  
  
"He was my dad. He stopped being one when he left. Spike, he hasn't even called! How can I ever forgive him for what he did to mom, and for what he did to Dawn and me?"  
  
"I don't know, love, but somehow I think you need to try, because keeping all that hate inside can't be any good for anyone. You don't need to take him back into your life if you don't want to, just know that you're over hating him for leaving."  
  
Buffy looked at him, her eyes still red from crying. "Since when have you become so smart?"  
  
"Hey, I've always been smart, that you just didn't look bloody close enough before is not my fault," he said in a joking tone.  
  
"Don't blame me for that, you were the one who put on the image of, 'the peroxide bleached my hair and melted my brain', not me."  
  
"Now I'm hurt."  
  
She giggled at his expression, where he tried to mix hurt and smiling in one. She kissed him. "Thanks for always being able to make me smile," she whispered.  
  
"You're welcome. Now, should we go downstairs and face the wanker that is your father together with the Nibblet and your mum?"  
  
"Yeah, let's do that."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
They sat down like the last time they had all been together, with a few changes. They were sitting in the living room instead of around the kitchen table. Also, Buffy refused to let Spike out of sight, so he stayed, although he wasn't saying much.  
  
To begin with, no one had said anything, then Hank had started explaining what had happened.  
  
"I-I went to Palm Springs with – her."  
  
"Do I have to listen to this?" Buffy muttered angrily, but she felt Spikes hand on her arm and she calmed down.  
  
"She – she had an apartment there, so we lived there, mostly."  
  
Joyce sat facing her ex-husband, staring at him. No other feeling than disbelief was apparent on her face.  
  
"She kicked me out, yesterday," he told his former family.  
  
Buffy and Dawn started talking at the same time, both screaming versions of, "And you went back here and hoped we would take you back?!"  
  
Their mother finally quieted them, and said to Hank in a slow, low voice. "I don't know what planet you are from," she started, "if you think that you can leave, divorce me, for some stupid little blonde, and then come back to me when she has thrown you out."  
  
She stood up, but Buffy's father cried out, "Joy, please…"  
  
Joyce turned around again. "If the girls want to talk to you, then they are free to do so. As far as we go, we are as over as a couple can be. Good bye, Hank."  
  
Buffy looked from her standing mother to her father, who was sitting with his head in his hands. Joyce left.  
  
"Dad?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Yes sweetie?"  
  
"Don't call me that," Dawn said, her voice cold like ice. "Why did you come back?"  
  
"Be-because I love you –"  
  
"You know," Dawn interrupted, "You have a really weird way to show it. Leaving your family for five months usually doesn't cut it. I loved you, you know. I really, really loved you."  
  
She followed her mother's footsteps and left. Only Spike and Buffy were left in the room, both staring at the man in front of them.  
  
The man that once was my father, Buffy thought sadly. Another thought hit her.  
  
"It wasn't the first time you had an affair, was it?" she asked coldly.  
  
Hank's head shot up and guilt was written all over his face. "I remember," Buffy continued, "You and mom were fighting, when I was little. More than once. You left sometimes, and didn't come back until days later."  
  
"Buffy, I'm sorry –"  
  
"Save it. Spike here made me realize that I have to let it go and go on with my life." She kissed Spike's cheek.  
  
"You – you aren't together, are you?" Hank stammered.  
  
"Good guess, dad." She added the 'dad' with sarcasm in her voice. "We've been together for a month and counting."  
  
"But – He's no good for you! He is rude and –"  
  
"Since when is that your concern? I think I stopped counting your opinion sometime around November or December – yeah, right when mom told us you'd been having an affair. You have no say whatsoever of who I should date or not. C'mon, Spike."  
  
She stood up and was on her way out of the room, but turned around and said her last words to her father. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 7  
  
  
  
Flowers kept coming to her mother, but Joyce threw them in the trash, because every single one had a card attached to it that said, "I'm sorry." Buffy knew her mom was miserable, even more so now it seemed than the previous five months. Why, she didn't know, but she was.  
  
Finally, one night when Buffy was getting herself ready for a night out with her friends, a thought hit her.  
  
"Mom," she said as she made her way into the kitchen.  
  
"Yes, Buffy?"  
  
"Me and Spike are going Bronzing tonight, you wanna go with us?"  
  
Joyce turned around and smiled slightly. "That's a nice idea but –"  
  
"No buts. Come on, it will be fun!"  
  
Her mother looked down at herself. She was dressed in sweatpants and a loose tee shirt. "But I don't have anything to wear," she said.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure we can find something. Come on," Buffy begged.  
  
"Oh all right," Joyce said. "I guess it's time I got out of here anyway, right?"  
  
"Yeah. Let's go!"  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
An hour later, Buffy, Spike and Joyce entered the Bronze. Joyce looked a little unsure, saying, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all…"  
  
"Oh, mom, don't be such a bore. Look, there are the others!" She pointed over at the table where Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and to her surprise also Giles were sitting. They made their way over there.  
  
"Hi ya guys, having fun?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Hi Buffy, hi Spike," Willow said. "Joyce!" she then exclaimed. "Fun that you could come!"  
  
"Well, we just ordered drinks," Xander said, smiling, "So you might want to do that too."  
  
"Oh good idea," Buffy said.  
  
"So what b-brings you here, Mrs. Summers?" Tara asked shyly.  
  
"I decided that it was time for her to get out some," Buffy answered. Joyce just smiled and sat down next to Giles. The two older people started talking, although Buffy couldn't hear what they were saying over the loud music.  
  
"C'mon," she said to Spike. "Let's go dance."  
  
The night was a total success, Buffy thought happily, lying in her bed later at night. Her mother and Giles had left earlier than the younger group, but they had left together, so Buffy wasn't too worried. Spike, her and the other Scoobies had kept on dancing, talking and laughing together until two at night. It had been one of the better Bronzing nights in a while, Buffy thought.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Ugh, why do we have to have finals?" Xander whined. "It's another month to go, but the teachers are giving us homework and tests like – I don't know…"  
  
"Well, you have another month before your finals," Willow responded, "But my AP classes have their finals next Wednesday."  
  
"But Will, after that, you're like off, you don't have to do anything."  
  
"Then why don't you take AP courses, Xan?" Buffy asked. She smiled. "If they are so easy…"  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny. See how I'm not laughing?"  
  
"Take it easy, Xander," Willow said. "You will survive the homework and the tests, and you will do good in the finals, and then we will all be seniors next year."  
  
"Talking of which," Buffy said, "Are any of you going to the graduation?"  
  
"If someone gets me tickets," Xander said. "You going?"  
  
"Of course! Spike is gonna get me, mom and Dawn tickets, and I'm sure he can get you some if you want to go too."  
  
"Okay, sounds like fun," Willow smiled. "I haven't been to a high school graduation in such a long time."  
  
"And to think, next year, we'll be in it," Xander grinned. He definitely liked the thought of getting out of high school.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
But of course, the Scoobies wouldn't be allowed to just study for their tests and finals on their own, without having something else hanging over their heads. Giles gathered them all up at the Magic Box, only days later, to tell them that something was up.  
  
"There has been an decrease in the vampire activity," Giles told them. Buffy nodded; it was her who had made Giles aware of the fact. "I think it has to do with the Carishou, which will take place next Saturday. I believe they are preparing for it."  
  
"The Cari-what-did-you-say?" Buffy asked, having never heard of the name.  
  
"The Carishou. It is when five planets of the solar system lines up, and this one is particularly strong because the lined up planets are the five closest to the sun."  
  
"What happens then?" Anya asked, worriedly.  
  
"Well," Giles said, "If I read these books correctly, then at dusk, at the moment the sun disappears beyond the horizon of the Hellmouth, there will be an opening in it. This – this opening will give anyone who steps into it and back out on Earth at the exact right moment powers beyond imagination. He or she, who then will have spent time in Hell, will be ruled by darkness, but continue to live on earth. If a vampire goes in, the vampire will become completely immortal. And," he added, "Anyone the person – demon – touches will be given of the powers too."  
  
As he stopped talking, he looked into five dumbfounded faces.  
  
"So you're saying," Xander said, "If a vampire – or worse, some huge demon – succeeds in this, they can like start their own super race, which will never die?"  
  
Giles looked uneasy. "Right."  
  
"Bloody hell," Spike swore, realizing what that would mean.  
  
"What can we do to stop it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"We have to figure out where the opening will be, and be there to stop anyone from going into it," Giles replied.  
  
"If – If a human goes into the portal?" Tara wondered quietly. "What will happen?"  
  
"Same as for a demon, I believe," Giles said. "Ruled by darkness. The books aren't that clear on it all, though."  
  
The Scoobies nodded their heads, all trying to take in the information.  
  
"I guess it will be research night tonight," Anya sighed. "No sex."  
  
"Anya!"  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
It was Saturday at two in the afternoon, only hours until the Carishou would take place. Buffy paced back and forth over the living room floor, while the others were collecting weapons.  
  
"You all right, pet?" Spike asked her and put his arms around her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little nervous," she responded, grateful for having his arms around her. They wouldn't be around her much longer, she thought sadly. He was leaving in only seven weeks.  
  
"You know we'll make it today, don't you?" he wondered. "We won't let anyone or anything go through that portal, okay?"  
  
"I know, Spike, I know." She smiled at him.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Willow and Tara were the one's who had figured out – with magic of course – where the portal would appear. Buffy, Spike, Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya headed over there at five in the afternoon, still with another three hours to sundown.  
  
They reached a big cave, and Tara said, "It-it should be in there."  
  
"Of course, there'd be vampires," Buffy muttered at the two standing guard outside the cave opening. To her friends she said, "Hide, I'll take care of them." Then she strolled casually over to the two ugly demons. "Hello, boys," she said in a sugary tone.  
  
The two vampires moved closer to her, game faces on.  
  
"You must be two naughty boys," Buffy continued, "To be beat so badly so you look like that."  
  
With that, the two vampires threw themselves on the little Slayer, but she dodged them and kicked one in the stomach, making him fly over into the cave wall. She cart wheeled over to the other one and staked him before he knew what was going on. The one by the cave side moaned and tried to get up, but Buffy was there with the stake through his heart within a second. "You shouldn't get up, you look hurt," she said before the vampire turned to dust.  
  
She called out to her friends. They came over and the group entered the opening, as the portal they were looking for would be somewhere inside. The ground was greasy, and they slipped several times as they were walking down, further and further into the grotto.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Why do these things always have to take place in such annoying, icky places?" Willow wondered as she slipped for the third time. Spike grabbed her before she fell, and the redhead gave him a thankful look.  
  
"Well, it's better than having it in some big fancy house where we'd have to break in to get there, don't you think?" Buffy asked with a slight smile, trying to cheer the others up.  
  
It was totally dark where they were walking now, with the exception of the magic light Tara and Willow had produced. As they got further in, though, they heard voices, and Buffy whispered to the Wiccas to turn the light off. They did so, and the gang crept on.  
  
The cave opened up into a big underground chamber, lit up by thousands of swaying lights, Buffy noticed. The chamber was filled with creatures, demons of all kinds, from big ugly trolls to a sloppy green creature, which looked like a great worm, to a little flying dragon who kept blowing fire at all the others in there. There were also several vampires, strutting around the room.  
  
"What's the plan now?" Buffy asked quietly. "Where will the portal be?"  
  
"Over there, if we're right," Willow whispered and pointed at the right corner. "Right where that vampire in black is standing."  
  
Buffy nodded. The vampire stood by himself, with a smug smile on his face. While many others in the room still seemed to be looking for exactly where the portal would appear, this one seemed sure that he was in the right place.  
  
"Okay," Buffy whispered. "Spike, Anya and Xander will create a diversion. You two," she said to the Wiccas, "Will go with me over to where the portal will hopefully be. That guy has to go away. Once he's staked, you will do your magic and hinder anyone from getting into the portal. Everyone understands? It is just fifteen minutes until sundown, so we will have to work fast."  
  
The Scoobies nodded and the plan was put in place.  
  
Spike ran out first, axe in his hand and began slashing the demons. Xander and Anya followed quickly afterwards, and soon, there was chaos in the chambers. Xander dusted a vampire, but before he could react, a big troll picked him up by his hair and threw him into the wall, rendering him unconscious. In the meantime, Buffy and the Wiccas were making their way over to the vampire in black, them too dusting vampires and slaying demons on their way.  
  
"Iiih," Buffy heard Tara scream. A big slimy monster had picked her up in its hand, and the witch was fighting hard to get out of its grip.  
  
"Release!" Willow screamed, her eyes dark. Immediately, the monster let Tara go, and just stood there, thunderstruck. "He's momentarily paralyzed," Willow said, "But it will stop working soon. Let's go." She grabbed Tara by the arm and helped her up.  
  
"Thanks," Tara whispered to her girlfriend.  
  
"C'mon," Buffy said. The minutes were ticking away, and they were still only halfway to the vampire in black.  
  
In the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Spike fight against a red, eight feet tall demon with claws. Spike had angry red gashes over his chest, and his face was beaten, but he was still standing up, at least. She couldn't think of that at the moment; she had to get to the portal.  
  
Finally, she leaped forward, her way clear to where the vampire in black was. He saw her and smiled an evil grin.  
  
"Welcome, my dear," he said to Buffy.  
  
Buffy didn't respond; she just aimed a kick at him. He dodged easily, and threw a punch at her. She dodged it and ran around him, attempting to take him from the back. But he swirled around and moved to the side, and she kicked into thin air.  
  
Willow and Tara had lost Buffy, and were now fighting for their lives together with Anya, among ugly demons, which were all taller, bigger, and stronger than them.  
  
"Stupefy!" Tara and Willow yelled together at one demon after the other, leaving them still, staring out with empty looks.  
  
Spike stood over the body of the eight feet tall monster he had just killed with his axe. He was panting, and hurting from the wounds on his chest. Suddenly, he saw Buffy fighting against a vampire in the corner. Buffy was having trouble, he could see it even from where he was standing. Quickly, before any other demon had had time to register that he didn't have anyone to fight with, he began making his way over to her.  
  
"You're not very strong, Girl," the vampire told Buffy and punched her one more time in the face.  
  
He had cornered her; behind her was only the cold stone wall. He took out a knife from a belt in his clothes, and asked her, "Any last words?" The knife was by her breasts, the point touching her shirt. Suddenly, she was trembling with fear.  
  
"Here are some last words," Spike said all of a sudden and the vampire whirled around. Spike drove the stake through the vampire's chest immediately. "See you in hell."  
  
"Spike!" Buffy said happily, but before she could continue, she noticed the chaos around her. And in front of her, a bright light had begun shining. The portal she though, quickly checking her watch. It was exactly on time.  
  
Suddenly, all of the room's creatures noticed the portal, and they were all rushing towards it. Tara and Willow were screaming spells to keep the different demons away, but Buffy and Spike had to fight for their lives anyway, as demons of all sizes and forms were getting past the Wiccas.  
  
Buffy slayed for all that she was worth, sending creature after creature to hell. Behind her, the portal was glowing with a light so bright Buffy couldn't watch it. It helped her though; it blinded some of the creatures coming at her.  
  
A demon jumped at her, and she fell backwards. She was only inches from entering the portal herself, and she rolled the creature that was sitting on her to the side, getting away from the portal.  
  
Then suddenly it shut.  
  
All the light disappeared from the cave, and total darkness came instead. Buffy grabbed Spike, who she knew had been just right beside her, and told him, "Let's go."  
  
The two could hear Willow and Tara chanting some feet away, and suddenly, there was a blast, which threw Spike and Buffy to the ground. He shielded her, holding her so she landed on top of him.  
  
"What happened?" Buffy asked and stood up.  
  
No answer. In fact, everything in the cave was deadly quiet.  
  
"Spike?" she asked tentatively. "Willow? Tara?"  
  
"Light!" It was Willow.  
  
A fire started in midair, half way to the ceiling in the cave. Suddenly, Buffy could see what the blast had done.  
  
Around her, all the demons of the room lay dead. Not one demonic creature was moving anywhere. In the middle of the room, Willow and Tara was standing, slight smiles on their faces. Buffy looked down at her feet, where Spike lay.  
  
"Oh god…" she whispered. Spike's face was deadly pale, and blood was sipping out from the back of his head. "Spike? Spike, come on… You can't be…"  
  
She took his pulse. There was one, a faint but steady one. He wasn't dead. Without thinking much more of it, she picked him up in her arms, biting her lip as he groaned of pain.  
  
"Willow?" she said, getting her friend's attention. Willow came running over to her. "He's hurt," Buffy said, "We need to get him to a hospital."  
  
Willow nodded, "X-Xander too. Anya is with him. Come on, let's go."  
  
So they made their way out over the dead bodies and dust from the demons. Anya and Willow were helping each other carry Xander, while Buffy held Spike close. Tara kept the light above their heads going, helping as much as she could.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Why do hospitals always seem so cold? Buffy wondered, sitting in the waiting area in the emergency room. Beside her sat Willow, Tara, Giles and Joyce. They had called the two grownups as soon as they had come to the hospital. The two had come immediately, and Joyce had phoned Spike's father in England.  
  
Anya was in the room with Xander, and the couple came out an hour later. Xander's head was wrapped in bandages and his arm was in a cast.  
  
"Have I mentioned how much I hate trolls?" he asked jokingly as he came out. He had a tired expression on his face.  
  
"Xander, do you want me to take you home?" Giles asked, as Anya didn't drive and Xander wasn't allowed to at the moment.  
  
Xander nodded, and Giles left with Xander and Anya. "I will be back soon," he promised.  
  
So it was back to waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Buffy hated waiting more than anything else. She felt so helpless, and she didn't like being helpless. Helpless equals weak, she thought, and I have to be strong for him. Spike. She had never felt worse than when carrying his unconscious body up from the cave. Why had it happened? she asked herself. He was trying to protect me, just like he always is. What if he dies now? What if he doesn't make it? I'll never get to hear him say 'bloody hell' again. Or hear him crack another dumb joke. Or kiss him. Or hold him…  
  
She didn't notice the tears that were falling down her cheeks. None of her friends said anything, which she was happy for, because if they had, she wouldn't have been able to reply.  
  
Finally, the doctor came out. It was hours since they had gotten in, hours since they had last heard anything about Spike.  
  
"Mrs. Summers?" the doctor asked Buffy's mother.  
  
"Yes." Buffy walked over there too.  
  
"How is he?" she managed to ask between tears.  
  
"Not good, I'm afraid. William has lost a lot of blood, and is at the moment in a coma, caused by a bad concussion. He also punctured one lung because of several broken ribs and he had lots of bruises all over. We have done everything we could, but now it is only to wait and see. The next twenty-four hours will be critical."  
  
Buffy held her head in her hands and sobbed. Joyce hugged her, and at long last, Buffy asked, "Can I see him?"  
  
"I guess you could," the doctor replied. "As long as you just sit in there."  
  
Buffy nodded, not able to speak another word. A nurse over led her to his room, but when she saw him in there, through the window, she wondered if it hadn't been better not to see him. Yet, she opened the door and made her way in.  
  
Outside the room, there had been lots of noise and people running around, but inside, it was completely quiet, apart from the machine that registered his pulse with high pitched beeps, and the wheezing sound from the tube that supplied Spike with oxygen down his throat.  
  
"Hi Spike," she breathed. "It's me, Buffy." She sat down on one of the chairs by the bed and took his right hand in both hers. She started talking again. "You know, you can't just lay here. It's not good for you, and it's definitely not good for me. I've been crying you know. Oh, what am I talking about, I'm still crying," she said, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. "Sorry, I shouldn't talk about me. I guess it always about me… You're lying here because of me… Because you saved me…" She looked down, sobbing. "I love you so much, you know… I've never loved anyone else like I love you… You're my whole life, my everything. Please don't die from me… Please…"  
  
She couldn't talk any longer. Words failed her, and she just sat there, his hand in hers, stroking it gently, tears still falling from her eyes. Finally, she cried herself to sleep. She didn't know how long she slept there, it felt like only minutes, but it must have been hours, because when she woke up, the sun was rising outside.  
  
She looked up at her boyfriend. His face and chest were bruised, and though he was well bandaged up, she could still see the swollen, purplish skin underneath.  
  
"Hey Spike," she said softly, wanting nothing but to touch him, and have him touch her back. "It's morning, time to get up, you know."  
  
The door opened and her mother with Dawn in tow came in.  
  
"Hi Buffy," Joyce said, hugging Buffy. "You should go home, sweetheart. You look tired."  
  
"I'm not leaving until he wakes up," Buffy told her mother, who found it unnecessary to argue, since she knew she wouldn't win.  
  
"How is he?" Dawn asked shyly, coming forth to where Buffy was sitting.  
  
"I-I don't know," Buffy said, fresh tears burning behind her eyelids. But she held them back, because crying wouldn't get Spike back.  
  
Her mother continued speaking, but Buffy was not awake and aware enough to care. She stared at the young man in the bed, and suddenly –  
  
"Spike?" Buffy whispered. He had moved, she was sure of it. Not much, but that didn't matter. She held his hand tighter, though careful not to hurt him more. "Come on Spike, you can do it, you can do it…"  
  
She saw him move again, and she continued speaking to him, as he seemed to react to it. "Come to me, sweetie, you'll make it –"  
  
His eyelids fluttered, and suddenly he opened first his right eye, then the left. He squeezed them shut again, obviously in pain. Buffy raised her hand and stroke his cheek gently.  
  
"Mom, close the shutters," she said, "It's too light for him in here." She turned back to Spike, in tears, and whispered happily, "I love you." 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Part 8  
  
  
  
The nurse and the doctor were called, and they took out the tube of his mouth, since he was now able to breathe on his own. Joyce and Dawn went out to call the Scooby Gang, because they had all left during the night. Buffy refused to leave Spike's side, and he wouldn't let her go, so she stayed through it all. Finally, when the nurse had fed him tablets against the pain and the doctor was done examining him, they left and Buffy got to be alone with him again.  
  
"You okay?" she asked him, caressing the side of his face lovingly.  
  
He nodded, still not feeling up to talking.  
  
"Do you want some water?" He nodded again and she nursed him some from the glass that was besides his bed. When she had put it back, she told him, "You know, I thought I'd lost you for sure just an hour ago. I'm so sorry for what happened…"  
  
"Not – your – fault," Spike said in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Shh, don't talk," she said and put her finger on his mouth. "Shh…" She kissed him, as softly as she could so that she would not hurt him.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
All of the Gang, including Xander, came back to the hospital during the Sunday. Buffy didn't leave once, surviving only on food her mother brought. Dawn and Joyce stayed at the hospital most of the day too, although they left earlier than Buffy.  
  
Willow and Tara came first, at around noon. The two Wiccas had brought flowers and a teddy bear, and both wore guilty expressions on their faces.  
  
"It's a-all our fault," Willow said. "If we hadn't done that – that curse to kill those demons, you wouldn't be here."  
  
"Nonsense," said Spike who felt good enough to talk a little by now. "If you hadn't done that bloody spell –" he coughed a little "– we'd all be dead by now. I'm alive – be happy."  
  
"Yeah," said Buffy, noticing that Spike was having trouble talking, took over for him. "If you guys hadn't killed those demons, we would still be there, trying to get out. If we'd still be alive, that is."  
  
After a little more convincing, the young Wiccas believed that they weren't to blame – at least not totally, Willow thought.  
  
Giles came next, and then, less than half an hour later, Xander and Anya came.  
  
"I'm sorry I ever sent you out on that trip," Giles said.  
  
"Will everybody please stop with the bloody sorrys? We're all alive, aren't we? And no one entered the portal!" He began coughing hard again, the punctured lung troubling him. Buffy kept an arm around his back, holding him as he coughed blood.  
  
"Spike, careful," she said with a pained expression as he sat back and grasped for air. "It's okay, shh," she mumbled, "Breathe… 'S okay…"  
  
She half expected some smart comment, but got none. Instead, he just leaned on her. She sat cuddled up right next to him on the bed, one arm around his back, his head on the side of her chest.  
  
A nurse came into the room; she'd heard Spike's coughing.  
  
"I will have to ask you all to please leave," she said. "You are upsetting the patient, you will have to come back later."  
  
The others didn't protest; they knew there were too many people in the room, and they left, promising Spike that they'd come back later.  
  
"You too, miss," the nurse said to Buffy.  
  
"No," Spike breathed silently. "Let her stay."  
  
The nurse agreed, "All right, since it's only the one. Just keep it down and don't upset him." Buffy nodded and the nurse left the room.  
  
Buffy snuggled up tighter to Spike, setting both herself and Spike in a decent position.  
  
"You comfortable?" she asked.  
  
He nodded, his eyelids closed. She held her arms around him, her left one behind his back, her right one in front. He had his left hand on her hip, and his right one was still clutching his broken ribs.  
  
"Sleep," she whispered, and he did.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
His punctured lung was the one thing that kept annoying Spike through his time at the hospital. He stayed there for a whole nine days. To begin with, he didn't care; he was so tired and slept so much it didn't matter where he was. But the last couple of days, he was longing to get out of bed.  
  
"You know how bloody boring it is to be in bed all day long?" Spike asked her in an aggravated tone, then seriously regretting it, as he started coughing yet again.  
  
"Spike, calm down," she said, sitting up on his bed. Her backpack lay on the floor; she'd just come from school. She stroke his hair.  
  
"You're getting out of here as soon as my mom comes to sign your release papers, so you'll be up and around soon enough."  
  
Buffy got down again and took out the little bag they had brought to the hospital for him. In it, she put down all of his personal belongings, like his toothbrush and slippers, and the teddy bear he had received from Willow and Tara.  
  
"Look," she said when she was done, "Now you're even all packed." She gave him a quick kiss. "So what are you going to do when we get home?"  
  
"Whatever, as long as it doesn't involve a bloody bed," Spike replied grumpily.  
  
"Really?" Buffy said sweetly. "No bed? That's too bad…"  
  
Realization dawned on Spike as he realized what she was talking about. "Okay," he said, "That kind of activity involving a bed is fine."  
  
She giggled.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Another week later, they were all back in their old routine. The memory of the night of the Carishou seemed like a distant, unpleasant dream, as did Spike's hospitalization.  
  
Walking around school with Willow, Buffy felt like nothing had ever happened.  
  
"Look, now it's time for the Prom," Willow said and pointed at the placard that some other juniors were putting up on the wall. The dance was only two weeks away. "They've been putting up those signs all over school for weeks now," Willow added.  
  
"You and Tara going to this one too?" Buffy asked, a slight smile on her face although the things she was thinking of weren't worth smiling at. Spike waking her up, saying Willow was in the hospital, driving to the hospital in complete silence, and seeing her friend all wrapped up in casts, in the hospital bed. That was what had happened after the last conversation they had had of a dance.  
  
"I think so," the redhead replied. "We had so much fun at the last one, so… Are you going?"  
  
"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "I'd like to, but I'm not sure Spike wants to."  
  
"Why wouldn't he?"  
  
"Oh I don't know."  
  
"You could always ask him," Willow said, smiling.  
  
"We'll see, Will, we'll see."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
She got a surprise a couple of days later when she opened her locker and found a card saying, "Will you dance with me? Spike" on.  
  
Quickly, she found Spike outside his locker in the other corridor, and said, smiling, "Yes, I will dance with you."  
  
He grinned, "Goody." He swept her into a quick kiss, before they both had to leave for class. Buffy was in a good mood the rest of that day.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy, Willow, Tara and Anya all went out to by dresses that weekend, one week before the Prom would take place. Willow and Tara had promised that they wouldn't show each other their dresses, because they wanted to surprise. So, Tara started trying dresses while Willow walked off in the store, not getting to come back until Buffy or Anya got her.  
  
Tara ended up choosing a simple, blue dress, which fit snuggly around her upper body and then swayed out from the hips down.  
  
"Gorgeous," both Buffy and Anya agreed.  
  
Tara paid for the dress. Willow came back with a set of dresses and Tara had to go. Willow tried on several without finding anything good, but then tried on a two-piece in black. It had thin spaghetti-straps, and the bottom was in a stretch material with slits on both sides so she would be able to dance in it.  
  
The Wiccas were both there as Buffy and Anya began trying on dresses. Buffy tried on a dark blue one, but didn't like how it fit around her shoulders, so she decided against it even though she liked the color. She tried on a red one, but it didn't match her at all, so that one was a no-no. After trying on several others, Willow came back from a dress hunt with a dress in the same kind of blue as the first one, and that one fit Buffy perfectly.  
  
Meanwhile, Anya found one dress after another, and they all fitted her slim, tall body and she loved them all. After discussing back and forth with herself she decided on a glittery story with no back, just a string by the neck to hold the upper part up. It was very tight, but fit her well.  
  
"So, what more do we need?" Willow asked when Buffy and Anya had paid for their dresses.  
  
"Shoes, make-up and jewelry," Anya responded. She saw the others stare disbelieving at her. "What, I saw it all in this magazine…"  
  
"I don't have enough money for all that," Willow complained.  
  
"Well, I have make-up and shoes at home," Buffy said, "So I only need jewelry."  
  
"I have some jewelry, and shoes I can use, and I have quite a lot of make- up too."  
  
"I'm guessing you're saying no more shopping," Anya said sadly.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The week passed quickly, and Buffy found herself looking forward enormously to the dance. She had made an appointment to get her hair and nails done; now the only hard thing about Saturday was that Spike wasn't supposed to see her before she was done. But he had promised that he'd go and get himself ready together with his friends and then pick her up for dinner at six.  
  
On Saturday morning she awoke early, little butterflies in her stomach. She ate breakfast as slowly as she could, but she was excited; she'd never gone to a dance with someone she really cared about before. Now she was going with Spike, and she wanted to look and feel her very best.  
  
Tara came by her house at ten thirty to borrow a pair of shoes, because she had none she found fit for the Prom.  
  
At eleven, she had the nail appointment.  
  
"Prom today?" the lady who was working on her nails asked.  
  
"Yeah," Buffy replied, gone away in la-la-land, dreaming of her and Spike dancing the night away.  
  
At three thirty she got her hair done, in a princess-like setting, soft curls swaying down on the sides of her face. When she got home, she put her gown on, and then she applied her make-up; she spent almost forty minutes working to get it perfect. Finally, it was five thirty, and Buffy was finished. She went down to the kitchen where Joyce and Dawn were sitting. They gasped as she entered.  
  
"Wow, sis, you look – well, beautiful," Dawn admitted. The sisters grinned at each other.  
  
"You look gorgeous honey," her mother stood up and hugged her daughter. Joyce wiped away tears. "Look, you're making me cry… My little baby is all grown up."  
  
Buffy just smiled. She knew that no matter what happened, she would always be her mother's little baby. Buffy sat down with her family and took a little water, careful not to spill or mess up her make-up.  
  
Finally, the doorbell rang.  
  
"Since when does Spike ring the doorbell?" Dawn wondered. "Doesn't he have a key?"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy replied, "But he wanted to do it all right, so he's ringing the doorbell."  
  
Dawn nodded, although she didn't get it. He lived there, why not just open the door?  
  
Outside, Spike was waiting, flowers in his hands. He felt oddly nervous.  
  
As the door opened and revealed Buffy, Spike could do nothing but gasp. She looked absolutely stunning. A blue, long, tight fitting dress clad her body, her hair was up in some advanced way with golden locks falling around her pretty face. She wore some make-up, not too much though.  
  
"You – You look beautiful," he breathed. She hid a smile behind her hand. "Here, these are for you." He gave her the flowers.  
  
"Thank you, Spike," she smiled. He looked amazing too. He was dressed in black, almost all the way. His tie was a blue that matched perfectly to her dress. His normally slicked hair was tussled up in little spikes instead – how fitting, Buffy thought with a giggle.  
  
"Something funny, love?" he asked. He had walked up to her, and was now standing close to her, his face only inches from hers.  
  
"No. Just – you look great."  
  
"Why thank you, my lady," Spike smiled.  
  
Joyce and Dawn came out, seemingly having decided that the couple had had enough private time.  
  
"William," Buffy's mother burst out, "You look wonderful!"  
  
"Thank you, Joyce."  
  
"Wow, you sure are dressed up," Dawn said, looking at her sister and fake- brother. "You look pretty together."  
  
"Thanks, Dawnie."  
  
"Can I just please take a picture?" Joyce asked, picking up the camera from the dinner table.  
  
It wasn't one picture, once Joyce had started, though. It was a film. Buffy guessed that her mother had taken at least thirty pictures of them, which she didn't mind, but in the end, she felt like getting away from home and get on with the night. Spike had borrowed Joyce's car, and after a long 'good bye' and lots of 'have fun's, they left.  
  
"Whoa, I thought we'd never get out of there," Buffy smiled as she seated herself in the car.  
  
"Well, now we're out, and onto one heck of a night," Spike responded and gave her a quick kiss before turning on the car.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The dinner had been wonderful, Buffy thought later on, as they were headed to the Rose Mansion, where the dance was going to take place. During dinner, the two had talked like they hadn't in a long time. They had talked about everything; his past, her past, the future, Slaying, hopes and dreams.  
  
"When I grew up, I always wanted to be a Watcher, like my great grandfather," Spike had told her. "He was my idol. My own parents were just fighting all the time, and it felt like he was the only one I could really trust."  
  
"When – When did he die?" she'd asked softly.  
  
"When I was seven, just after my parents divorced. I hated it all; I hated my life and my parents, and to see my only life line die then… It was bloody hard. My mum tried to help me, but I didn't want her help. I spent more time in my room that year than I have the rest of my life put together." He's smiled a little, although Buffy had known that talking about his great grandfather wasn't easy.  
  
They had gone on to talk about lighter things, and gotten into her being the Slayer.  
  
"I only found out a year and a half ago," she'd told him. "It was kinda scary, all of a sudden all of these people expected me to do all this stuff, and I didn't know how to. It was hard but – well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I guess."  
  
"You know," he'd told her, "You are the strongest person I have ever met. You are just – incredible. And beautiful, I might add."  
  
She'd smiled. She seemed to do that a lot around him. "Thanks," she'd said.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
They arrived at the Rose Mansion at eight thirty; half an hour after the Prom had begun. It was big, huge, with four floors, two dance floors, one room with food and goodies and the top floor, which was used to take professional photos. Buffy and Spike took those first, to have them done with. Then they looked for their friends.  
  
The couple found the other Scoobies by the food, with Xander putting all sorts of candy on a plate like he'd never seen food before.  
  
"Go easy on the plates, mate," Spike said, announcing their presence to the others.  
  
"Buffy! Spike!" Willow squealed and ran over to them and gave Buffy a hug. "I was just wondering where you were."  
  
Tara, Anya and Xander – with his plate of food – followed Willow over to the newly arrived.  
  
"Wow," Xander said, "You look absolutely amazing, Buff."  
  
"Thank you," Buffy blushed. Besides her, Anya looked angry.  
  
"And me?" she asked.  
  
"Oh An, you're the prettiest, most beautiful girl in here, but can't I tell anyone else they look good?"  
  
Anya argued a little, but Xander won, saying that he loved her. For a thousand-year-old ex vengeance demon, she sure has bad self-esteem, Buffy thought.  
  
The group went down to the bottom floor, where one of the dance floors was. It was well crowded, but the group soon found space and started dancing to the rhythm. A slow song followed, and the couples put their hands around each other, heads close and slowed down their pace. Buffy leaned her head on Spike's shoulder, smiling contently. She was in heaven.  
  
"You dance well," she whispered to him.  
  
"I have lots of hidden talents, pet," he replied with a little grin.  
  
"I'm sure you do," she smiled. She met his lips, his sweet, warm lips, and kissed him.  
  
"I love you," he told her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The night had continued just as great as it had started. The gang mixed dancing with nibbling on food, talking, and of course, making out with their partners. Anya and Xander disappeared more than once during the night, and Buffy didn't want to imagine what they were doing. She also saw Tara and Anya go off, holding hands and looking very lovingly at each other. She smiled; she was surrounded by love from every angle of her life.  
  
They had gotten home at two, although the dance had ended at twelve. The group had gone out to a café and they sat there, the girls in their big gowns, talking and giggling, while the two boys had been entertaining themselves by playing pool, Spike constantly beating Xander.  
  
The house was quiet as they entered it. Joyce and Dawn were long gone off to sleep, Buffy guessed with a smile.  
  
"Shh," she said, holding a finger to her mouth as Spike made noise while taking off his shoes.  
  
"Sorry," he whispered with a grin.  
  
He looked so cute, and he was looking at her with such a loving gaze. She took him by the hand. "C'mon."  
  
She led him up the stairs, and into her room. Quietly she closed the door behind her, her hand trembling with nervousness.  
  
"Buffy? Love? What are you doing?" Spike asked her, confused but with a slight hope in his voice.  
  
"Help me unzip this dress," Buffy said in a low voice. When he didn't at once, she turned around and looked at him with the sweetest look she could produce. "Please?"  
  
He gulped and did what she asked. She let the dress fall to the floor and stood now in only her underwear, turned away from him. Slowly she turned around to face him.  
  
"Love me," she whispered in a hoarse voice. She reached up and kissed him, and he kissed her back, but then he pulled back.  
  
"Buffy, are you sure of this? Don't do anything you'll regret tomorrow."  
  
He sounded like her mother, the thought.  
  
"I want you," Buffy whispered. "Please, love me…"  
  
It was all that Spike needed. He lifted her up and kissed her passionately, then gently laid her down on her bed. He bent down and kissed her more, mumbling words of love to her. She groaned of pleasure and let herself go, giving herself completely to him.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
It had been a ride. A wonderful ride, filled of highs but basically no lows. He had lifted her higher than she'd thought possible. Now she lay gazing at her lover's sleeping face, wondering what he was dreaming, because he had such a content smile on his lips. She hoped he was dreaming of her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
She never regretted anything she had done that night. It was pure perfection. He only wish was that her little sister would go away and leave the two alone. She had heard Dawn talk on the phone with her friends, saying, "Yeah, Buffy and Spike, they're you know… together – I know, it's gross to see – They're like making out in the kitchen and all that – I know! I totally agree with you – Yeah, I mean, what are big sisters good for anyway?"  
  
Buffy didn't want to think of how much her mother had heard and knew of her and Spike's night together, if her sister could guess as much as she had.  
  
"Oh come on, pet," Spike said a week after Prom, "If your mum would've had a problem with it, she's have said so by now, wouldn't she?"  
  
"I guess…" Buffy had replied.  
  
Spike had been wonderful. There had been no change in his behavior towards her whatsoever; if anything, he was even more loving. He wasn't like the guys she had read about in magazines, the ones who left when they had had sex once. Buffy had been afraid of that, although, she thought, Spike couldn't really leave at the moment, now could he? If he tried to get away, she'd hunt him down and – hurt him. She smiled at the thought of Spike running from her. She knew deep down that he would never do it.  
  
"Buff? Buffy?" A hand was waved in front of her, waking her up. Xander stood in front of her. "What are you doing in fantasy-land, Buff? Having any pleasant dreams?"  
  
She realized the class they had been in was over, which was why Xander stood in front of her with his bag packed up and ready to go. She still had pens and notebooks out on the desk.  
  
"I'm just thinking," Buffy said, still not all there. She got up though, and they walked out of the classroom.  
  
"Yeah, I noticed."  
  
It was less than a week and a half till graduation now, and all over school, new posters were set up, screaming at them where and when. Buffy thought of them as kind of her death notice. After graduation, it would be a week, and then Spike would leave. His year would be over. Buff felt like crying.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Yearbooks were distributed the next day, and Buffy quickly looked through it. In the index in the back, she looked up, 'Walthrop, William' and when she saw that he was in no less than seven pictures, and had his own half page shared with another exchange student, she was jumping with happiness. She had hoped it would contain lots of pictures of him. Not that she hadn't taken plenty herself, it was just that she was pretty good at loosing loose pictures, while a book like the yearbook was a little harder to misplace.  
  
"You're in three pictures," Willow told her when they met up at break, "Xander is in two, me and Tara are in one each, Spike is in seven and Anya in four."  
  
"How did Anya manage four?" Buffy asked.  
  
"She said she was a member of different clubs that she's not really in," Willow grinned. "You happy about Spike being in there so much?"  
  
"Yeah. He's on two of the academics pages, the exchange student page, three student life and one club page," Buffy told her.  
  
"You memorized them?" Willow asked with a smile.  
  
"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," Buffy grinned back.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Graduation Day. It was both sad and happy to sit and watch Spike walk in in the cap and gown on the stadium with the crowd cheering. Happy, because it was an achievement in his life. Sad, because it meant the end of so many things. Around her sat all these people smiling and applauding the graduates, and Buffy chimed in every now and then.  
  
The Saludictorian, the Valedictorian, the Principal and the Student Body President all held short speeches to the class, before their names were called to come up and get the diplomas.  
  
"Annie Swanson! Tai Talera! Madeleine Teddy!" the teachers reading the names said, and one after another, the students accepted their diplomas.  
  
"William Walthrop!" Buffy cheered and applauded and whistled. It was bittersweet, she thought. She saw William looking up at the stands, and as he saw her, he smiled and held up the diploma. She beamed at him.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Buffy sat in her room, door closed. She was crying, and as there was a knock on the door, she didn't answer because she didn't want to talk to anyone.  
  
"Buffy?" Spike asked.  
  
She looked away from him; she didn't want to see him. She heard him walk over the floor and put his hands gently on her shoulders, turning her to face him. He gasped when he saw that she was crying.  
  
"Buffy, why are you crying?" he asked, wiping away her tears with the back of his hand. He sat down on his knees before her. "Talk to me, pet," he said, stroking her cheek.  
  
"I'm crying because it is all over!" Buffy suddenly sobbed, throwing herself in his arms. "You're leaving, and I hate you for it."  
  
She held him closely and he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"It's another week before I leave, love," he said, stroking her back. "And it doesn't mean it's over. We'll be on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean, but we'll still be alive, and you'll come visit me and I'll come visit you… Don't worry, pet, it will be all right."  
  
She was still clutching to him like she never wanted to let go, and it was true; she didn't want to let go.  
  
"How can you say that? We'll be like a billion miles away from each other, and you'll find someone else there, in England –"  
  
"Buffy, listen to me," Spike said, loosening his grip on her so he could look her in the eyes. "I will never love anyone else like I love you. It will be all right, you hear me? It will all be fine, and I will move here, and we'll get married and have children… It will just take some time, so you've got to have patience. It will be fine."  
  
"A-Are you sure?" Buffy whispered, tears still falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Positively, pet. You won't get rid of me now or ever." 


	9. Epilogue

Title: The Exchange Student  
  
Author: Camilla  
  
Email: bananacosmicgirl@hotmail.com  
  
The Exchange Student  
  
Epilogue  
  
It had gone a year since he had left, and she was still getting emails from him every day. She didn't always have time to respond, but he wrote her anyway. Occasionally, there came letters with the mail, written by hand. She had all of those put away safely away from Dawn's curiosity.  
  
Outside it was gray, rain pouring down the windows.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed in London, Heathrow. Please keep your seat belts fastened until the aircraft has come to a complete stop. Me and my crew hope that your journey has been pleasant and that you will travel with us soon again."  
  
The sign with the seat belt disappeared and Buffy stood up and stretched out. Her heart was pounding in he chest as she got her bag down, and she stood impatiently and waited for the people ahead of her to get off the plane.  
  
As she got out of the aircraft, she was almost running. A voice within told her to slow down, that she'd see him soon, but she couldn't wait. She ran through the controls and was jumping up and down for her luggage to come, and when her one suitcase arrived, she was on the move again. There was a little room to go through, another control, and then, ahead of her, there was the room where he'd be waiting.  
  
It was crowded, but it didn't matter. She sensed he was there, her whole body could feel his presence. She turned her head and met his gaze.  
  
He hadn't changed. Still the bleached hair, the dark clothing and the boyish grin on his face. He ran towards her and she ran to him, tears falling down both sets of cheeks. Their lips met and then they embraced, hugging each other tightly.  
  
"I have missed you so," Buffy whispered, kissing him with all the longing that had been held in during the year. "I love you…"  
  
"I love you too, pet," he said picking up her bag. "C'mon, there is so much I need to show you –"  
  
And together they walked off.  
  
  
  
~End~  
  
  
  
  
  
The challenge:  
  
Summary: Buffy and her family get a foreign exchange student for two semesters and guess who it is?? It's Spike of course and he and Buffy hates each other at first and then they start to like each other. But her father hates the idea of Buffy and Spike together because he's a bad influence on her.  
  
Must have:  
  
- AU B/S fic  
  
- Buffy can be the slayer or not (writer's choice)  
  
- Spike is human, but still has his "bad boy" image  
  
- The Scoobies  
  
- Dawn can exist in the fic or not (writer's decision)  
  
- Buffy is a junior and Spike is a senior  
  
- Buffy visits Spike in England  
  
I know, not much of the daddy hating their relationship, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! If you feel like it, please review it for me! 


End file.
